South Carolina operates on an annual continuing professional education cycle. CPAs must complete 40 hours each year, including 2 hours of ethics. Licenses renew Jan. 31 annually.
General requirement
CPAs must complete 40 hours of CPE each calendar year. The reporting period runs Jan. 1 through Dec. 31.
License renewal occurs by Jan. 31 each year (Feb. 1 deadline). Beginning with calendar year 2025, licensees must submit CPE documentation through the NASBA CPE Audit Service.
Ethics requirement
South Carolina requires 2 hours of ethics annually (6 hours over a three-year period).
Effective 2022, the state no longer requires a South Carolina-specific ethics course. Any behavioral or regulatory ethics course that meets S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 1-08 qualifies.
New licensees
Newly licensed CPAs are not required to complete CPE during the calendar year in which their initial license is issued.
Credit limitations
- Self-study: Must be from NASBA QAS-approved sponsors.
- Instruction (college/university): Maximum of 10 hours (25% of total). Introductory-level courses do not qualify.
- Published materials: Maximum of 10 hours (25% of total).
- Personal development: Maximum of 8 hours (20% of total).
- Peer review/practice review: Maximum of 16 hours.
- Technical meetings: Maximum of 16 hours.
- Nano learning: Maximum of 4 hours (10% of total).
- Daily limit: Maximum of 12 hours per calendar day.
Credit calculation
- Standard measurement: One CPE credit equals 50 minutes of instruction.
- Instruction: Credit equals two times presentation time. Preparation time does not qualify.
- University instruction: 10 CPE hours for teaching a 3-semester-hour course.
- Repeat instruction: Allowed only if the material has been substantially revised.
- Partial credit: Half-credit increments permitted after the first full hour.
- University credit: 15 CPE hours per semester hour and 10 CPE hours per quarter hour.
Carryforward
Licensees may carry forward up to 20 excess CPE hours to the next reporting period.
Carryforward does not apply to credits earned through peer review, published materials, self-study, instruction of university courses or personal development.
Special license statuses
CPA retired status
Licensees with retired status must complete 20 hours of CPE annually, including 2 hours of ethics. A maximum of 10 hours may be carried forward. Retired CPAs may not perform attest or compilation services.
CPA emeritus status
Fully retired CPAs who do not perform services for compensation are not required to complete CPE. Annual renewal is still required, but no fee applies. Volunteer services are permitted if not subject to peer review.
Nonresident CPAs
Licensees whose principal place of business is outside South Carolina may satisfy the ethics requirement by completing the ethics requirement of their principal state, provided they hold an active license in that state.
If the principal state does not require ethics CPE, South Carolina’s ethics requirement applies.
Reinstatement
The renewal deadline is Feb. 1 at 11:59 p.m. Licenses not renewed by Feb. 15 lapse and require reinstatement.
Reinstatement requirements include payment of renewal and reinstatement fees and completion of a criminal background check.
CPE requirements for reinstatement:
- Less than 3 years lapsed: 40 hours per year
- More than 3 years lapsed: 120 total hours