South Carolina PE and architect license renewal: what firms need to track

Last checked Sep 28, 2026. Not yet confirmed with the South Carolina boards. Confirm anything you act on with the board. Not legal advice.

If your firm has engineers or architects licensed in South Carolina, you track three kinds of dates: each person’s license expiration, the end of each person’s CE period, and the firm’s own registration. Engineers answer to the South Carolina Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors. Architects answer to the South Carolina Board of Architectural Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation). Worth knowing up front: an A/E firm keeps two firm registrations.

PE license renewal in South Carolina

PE licenses renew every two years in June and expire June 30 of even years, with a late-fee grace period; firm COAs renew every two years on a June 30 cycle in odd years. The next deadline in our data is June 30, 2028.

The board: South Carolina Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors. Look up each engineer’s current expiration date on the board’s license lookup rather than trusting the date on an old spreadsheet.

PE continuing education (PDH)

• Hours: 30 PDH every two years. Fixed statewide biennium, July 1 of an even year through June 30 of the next even year. Every license expires June 30 of even-numbered years (S.C. Code Regs. 49-105(A)(1)).
• Also required: Since July 1, 2022, no more than 50% of PDH claimed in a renewal cycle may be in business or non-technical subjects (15 of 30).
• Limits on some activities: professional society service (at most 8) hours.
• Carryover: Up to 15 PDH may carry forward. If 15 carryover PDH are claimed, the previous period is subject to audit too (49-602(B)).
• New licensees: Exempt for the first renewal period. Applies to new licensees by examination or by comity (S.C. Code Regs. 49-606(A)).
• Records: At least two renewal cycles (about 4 years). NCEES Records Program files may be used (S.C. Code Regs. 49-605(A)-(B)).
• Reporting: The renewal application includes a statement that the licensee has the required PDH. Details and proof are given only on audit; a disallowed claim gets 90 days to fix (S.C. Code Regs. 49-605(C), 49-610).

Architect license renewal and CE in South Carolina

The architect rules on this page come from our rule tables and haven’t been checked against the architecture board’s rules yet. Check with the board before you rely on them.

Individual certificates renew every two years, expiring June 30 of odd-numbered years (board FAQ; Reg. 11-8). Renewal online Apr 1 - Aug 31; late penalties after June 30. Firm Certificates of Authorization also expire biennially. The board: South Carolina Board of Architectural Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation); each architect’s date is on the license lookup.

• Hours: 24 hours every two years, all in health, safety and welfare (HSW) topics. July 1 of an odd year to June 30 of the next odd year (e.g. 7/1/2025-6/30/2027).
• Carryover: No carryover into the next biennial period; hours may move between years within the same period.
• New licensees: First-time registrant by examination exempt for the first renewal (Reg. 11-8.1(B)(1)). The board CE sheet also lists reciprocity registrants; the regulation text says examination only.
• Records: Two years after submission of the renewal affidavit (board CE information sheet).
• Units: An AIA learning unit (LU) is one hour.

Firm registration (COA) and qualifier rules

Engineering firms

A firm offering engineering in South Carolina needs a firm credential from the board: Certificate of Authorization (COA). A firm, including one using a fictitious name, needs a Certificate of Authorization; an individual practicing in their own name does not. One or more corporate officers, principal owners or a full-time licensed employee must be designated as responsible and be SC-licensed. The main office and every branch serving SC must have a resident PE in responsible charge, who can be resident at only one place at a time. No replacement deadline found in the statute (not yet confirmed).

Architecture firms

A firm offering architecture needs a firm credential: Certificate of Authorization. Firms practicing architecture need a Certificate of Authorization (SC Code 40-3-270). A sole proprietorship operating under the individual's own name does not need one; any other practice name does. The firm must employ one or more SC-registered architects in full authority and responsible charge, meaning regularly employed and legally accountable (Reg. 11-10). Each office preparing drawings must have a SC-registered architect in full authority and responsible charge. Changes in ownership, management or responsible architect must be filed within 30 days (40-3-30(C)). No ownership percentage found. Both the architect's seal and the firm's seal appear on documents.

Ownership: No ownership percentage found. Firm files the name of the individual in full authority and responsible charge and written evidence of authority (40-3-270).

Architect in charge: One or more regularly employed SC-registered architects in full authority and responsible charge of the firm's architectural practice; each office preparing professional work must have a SC-registered architect in full authority and responsible charge with supervisory control (Reg. 11-10 A, C).

Firm renewal: Biennial (Reg. 11-8 B). Exact firm expiry date not confirmed; likely June 30 odd years with individuals.

Firms that offer both

SC architects and engineers are licensed by separate LLR boards; the architect Certificate of Authorization covers architecture only. Engineering firm registration not re-checked here.

Who can seal drawings in South Carolina

South Carolina issues a PE license without limiting it by discipline; engineers seal only work within their competence, which your firm judges. SC has no separate structural engineer license; its rules only list the NCEES structural exams among exam types.

On architectural sheets, our data says an engineer may seal architectural work only in limited cases. Chapter does not apply to engineering practice and architectural work incidental to it (40-3-290). Exempt buildings anyone may design: farm buildings, buildings under 3 stories and under 5,000 sf (except assembly, institutional, educational and hazardous occupancies), one- and two-family dwellings under the SC Residential Code, and alterations within exemption limits.

Before a set goes out, every sheet has to pass four checks: a South Carolina license, the right discipline, a license still active on the issue date, and the firm’s registration. Compare South Carolina with other states on who can seal drawings, by state.

Common mistakes

• Treating an engineer’s license as the firm’s. A licensed PE can’t make up for a missing Certificate of Authorization (COA). In South Carolina the firm needs its own before it offers engineering, and the four sheet checks fail without it.
• Registering an A/E firm with only one board. South Carolina regulates engineering and architecture firms separately, so a firm that offers both keeps two registrations and two renewal dates.
• Losing the firm’s qualifying engineer without noticing. If the person the firm’s registration depends on leaves, the registration can be at risk. Our data doesn’t record a replacement deadline for South Carolina, so ask the board. See what to do the day someone gives notice.
• Forgetting the limit on business and other non-technical hours. Since July 1, 2022, no more than 50% of PDH claimed in a renewal cycle may be in business or non-technical subjects (15 of 30).

Where to file

SealBench never files anything with a board for you. Renewals, CE reports and firm registrations go to the board directly:

• South Carolina Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors (engineers and engineering firms)
• South Carolina engineer license lookup
• South Carolina Board of Architectural Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) (architects and architecture firms)
• South Carolina architect license lookup

How SealBench helps

SealBench keeps every PE and architect license and every firm registration on your roster in one list, soonest expiration first. Reminders at 90, 60 and 30 days before each date are coming soon. It counts each person’s CE hours and required topics against South Carolina’s rules, and Set Check shows who can seal each sheet in a South Carolina permit set, and why anyone can’t. One license is free to track; see pricing.