South Carolina Nursing License Requirements: RN, LPN

Overview

The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) mission is to promote the health, safety and economic well-being of the public through regulation, licensing, enforcement, training and education.

Registered Nursing (RN) & Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensure by Examination

Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements:

• Complete and submit the application. Your application must include the following:
• Submit a 2″x2″ photograph, signed and dated;
• Submit a copy of birth certificate or a valid passport issued by the applicant’s country of origin demonstrating that the applicant is eighteen years of age or older; Note: Hospital copies are not accepted.
• Submit copy of legal name change documents, if applicable;
• Submit a copy of their social security card or permanent resident card; a resident alien who does not have a social security number must have an alien identification number;
• Pay appropriate fees. Payment should be made via electronic check, debit, or credit card.

Note: Sign, date and have your application notarized.

• Allow 14 business days for processing before contacting the Board regarding the status of your application. After testing, results are mailed to the candidate’s address on file within ten (10) business days of receipt by the Board and results are not available from the Board by telephone. Information for obtaining unofficial results can be found at ncsbn.org.
• Register with the testing agency before or just after submitting the licensure application to take the licensure test, NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination). You may use any of the following ways to complete the registration:
  • Register online. OR
  • By telephone (866) 496-2539.

Note: NCLEX payment must be in the form of money order, certified or cashiers check made payable to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Personal checks, cash or foreign currency will not be accepted.

• Submit the Certificate of Endorsement page of the South Carolina Application for Licensure by Examination to your program director for completion. The Certificate of Endorsement should be mailed directly from the school to the Board of Nursing.

Out of State Applicants must additionally:

• Submit an official transcript. The transcript must include all nursing courses applied to meet degree requirements, date degree awarded, date of graduation, registrar’s signature and school’s seal. Note: The transcript must document each nursing course accepted for transfer credit to meet the requirements for the nursing degree. If it does not, you must request an official transcript from each school where the nursing course credit was earned. All transcripts must be mailed directly from the school to the Board of Nursing office.

Foreign Educated Applicants must additionally:

• An applicant’s general education and nursing education must be at a level required of graduates of nursing education programs in this State who are candidates for licensure as verified by a certificate of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools or another board-approved credentials evaluation service. An applicant whose native language is not English shall submit evidence of passing the Test of English as First Language (TOEFL), Test of Written English (TWE), and Test of Spoken English (TSE) offered by TOEFL/TSE Services or another service approved by the board. An applicant whose education for nursing is not verified as equivalent may qualify for a license by completing a supplemental course as prescribed by the board to be covered in an approved nursing education program and, upon completion of the course, writing and passing the licensing examination.
• Attach a copy of your nursing license from country of original licensure.
• Request a Credential Evaluation Service (CES) report at cgfns.org. You will need to request a CES Professional Report description of your nursing program.
• Request an application for examination from TOEFL at www.toefl.org. Foreign applicants are required to take and pass the TOEFL examination.
• A foreign educated applicant who does not become licensed within three years of first taking the examination shall requalify to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) by enrolling in an approved nursing education program and demonstrating knowledge, skills, and ability of a graduate nurse.

For more information about licensure by examination, click here.

Registered Nursing (RN) & Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensure by Endorsement

Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements:

• Submit a completed application.

Note: Sign, date and have your application notarized

• Pay appropriate fees. Money orders, cashier’s checks or personal checks should be made payable to LLR-Board of Nursing. Credit cards or debit cards are not accepted. Note: Application fees are non-refundable.
• Submit a 2″x2″ photograph, signed and dated.
• Submit a copy of birth certificate or a valid passport issued by the applicant’s country of origin demonstrating that the applicant is eighteen years of age or older. Note: Hospital copies are not accepted.
• Submit a copy of their social security card or permanent resident card. A resident alien who does not have a social security number must have an alien identification number.
• Submit copy of legal name change documents, if applicable
• Submit a copy of nursing license in another state or jurisdiction in this country or territory or dependency of the United States.
• Provide evidence of continued competence as instructed in the application
• Provide proof of residence-driver’s license; voter registration card or state issued identification card.
• Complete the criminal background check requirements as instructed in the application
• Request verification from original state of licensure or territory or dependency of the United States.
  • If the state(s) in which you are licensed participate in the NURSYS database, complete the NURSYS verification application (via the NURSYS website and pay the required fees).
  • For states that do not participate with the NURSYS database send the verification form, included within the application, to your original state of licensure. A fee is normally charged for this service and you must contact the state nursing board for the amount required. The completed form must be submitted directly to the South Carolina Board of Nursing.

• Submit the application with the requisite fee and documents to the following address:

South Carolina Board of Nursing
PO Box 12367
Columbia, S.C. 29211-2367

For more information about licensure by endorsement, click here.

To view some FAQ, click here.

For more information contact the South Carolina Board of Nursing or visit their official website.

References:

http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/Nursing/index.asp?file=pub.htm