Commercial — General Contractor (Groups I-V) SC GCBoard-pending
Issuing authority: SC LLR Contractor's Licensing Board (CLB)
Renewal cycleEvery 2 years
CE requiredNone
Bond / suretySurety bond alternative to net worth/working capital, amount equal to the applicant's license-group requirement ($20,000-$350,000 depending on group). See data/state-requirements.json states.sc.licenseClasses for the full per-group table.
InsuranceNot set by Title 40 Ch. 11 licensing sections (board-pending against any separate insurance rule).
Renewal details, what you'll need & where to file
About the CE rule: No CE requirement, any group. Expires October 31 of even-numbered years.
If you miss the deadline
Not specified by the board reply — no lapse-grace figure confirmed for any SC license type. Do not display a grace-period claim until confirmed.
What you'll typically need
- Your SC GC license / registration number
- Current general-liability insurance certificate
- Bond / surety on file
- The renewal fee (confirm the current amount with the authority)
General guidance — always confirm the exact requirements with the issuing authority before paying or submitting.
Commercial — Mechanical Contractor (Groups I-V) SC MechBoard-pending
Issuing authority: SC LLR Contractor's Licensing Board (CLB)
Renewal cycleEvery 2 years
CE requiredNone
Bond / suretySurety bond alternative to net worth/working capital, amount equal to the applicant's license-group requirement ($7,000-$300,000 depending on group — a SEPARATE, lower table than General Contractors). See data/state-requirements.json states.sc.licenseClasses.
InsuranceNot set by Title 40 Ch. 11 licensing sections (board-pending against any separate insurance rule).
Renewal details, what you'll need & where to file
About the CE rule: No CE requirement, any group. Expires October 31 of odd-numbered years — the mirror-year offset from the General Contractor table.
If you miss the deadline
Not specified by the board reply — no lapse-grace figure confirmed for any SC license type. Do not display a grace-period claim until confirmed.
What you'll typically need
- Your SC Mech license / registration number
- Current general-liability insurance certificate
- Bond / surety on file
- The renewal fee (confirm the current amount with the authority)
General guidance — always confirm the exact requirements with the issuing authority before paying or submitting.
Residential Builder SC RBBoard-pending
Issuing authority: SC LLR Residential Builders Commission (RBC)
Renewal cycleEvery 2 years
CE requiredNone
Bond / suretyExecuted surety bond of not less than $15,000, or proof of financial responsibility acceptable to the Commission (§ 40-59-220).
InsuranceNot set by Title 40 Ch. 59.
Renewal details, what you'll need & where to file
About the CE rule: No CE requirement (RBC staff, confirmed 2026-06-09).
If you miss the deadline
Not specified by the board reply — no lapse-grace figure confirmed for any SC license type. Do not display a grace-period claim until confirmed.
What you'll typically need
- Your SC RB license / registration number
- Current general-liability insurance certificate
- Bond / surety on file
- The renewal fee (confirm the current amount with the authority)
General guidance — always confirm the exact requirements with the issuing authority before paying or submitting.
Residential Specialty Contractor SC RSCBoard-pending
Issuing authority: SC LLR Residential Builders Commission (RBC)
Renewal cycleEvery 2 years
CE requiredNone
Bond / suretyBond triggered when materials-and-labor cost for an individual property owner exceeds $5,000 (§ 40-59-240): $10,000 for Electrical/HVAC/Plumbing, $5,000 for specialty contractor registration (RBC staff, confirmed 2026-06-09).
InsuranceNot set by Title 40 Ch. 59.
Renewal details, what you'll need & where to file
About the CE rule: No CE requirement (RBC staff, confirmed 2026-06-09).
If you miss the deadline
Not specified by the board reply — no lapse-grace figure confirmed for any SC license type. Do not display a grace-period claim until confirmed.
What you'll typically need
- Your SC RSC license / registration number
- Current general-liability insurance certificate
- Bond / surety on file
- The renewal fee (confirm the current amount with the authority)
General guidance — always confirm the exact requirements with the issuing authority before paying or submitting.
Certified Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester SC BFP Tester✓ Verified
Issuing authority: SC Department of Environmental Services (formerly DHEC), R.61-58.7(F)(8)
Renewal cycleEvery 3 years
CE requiredNone
Bond / suretyNot applicable — a credential/certification, not a contractor license.
InsuranceNot applicable.
Renewal details, what you'll need & where to file
About the CE rule: Each certified tester’s license expires three years from the date of issue (R.61-58.7(F)(8)). Renewal is a written exam (70% to pass) plus hands-on tests of RP, DC and PVB assemblies with your own gauge — an exam, not CE.
If you miss the deadline
Not specified by the board reply — no lapse-grace figure confirmed for any SC license type. Do not display a grace-period claim until confirmed.
What you'll typically need
- Your SC BFP Tester license / registration number
- Current general-liability insurance certificate
- Bond / surety on file
- The renewal fee (confirm the current amount with the authority)
Where to file
General guidance — always confirm the exact requirements with the issuing authority before paying or submitting.
South Carolina Minority Business Enterprise certification (SMBCC) SC MBEBoard-pending
Issuing authority: SC Division of Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification (SMBCC), within the Department of Commerce's Small Business Division since 2024
Renewal cycleEvery 5 years
CE requiredNone
Bond / suretyNot applicable — a business certification or registration, not a contractor license.
InsuranceNot applicable.
Renewal details, what you'll need & where to file
About the CE rule: Not CE. Certifications are for a period of five years; the certification number encodes the expiration date. Re-certification uses SMBCC's packet (notarized personal net worth statements, three years of personal and business returns). SMBCC moved from the Department of Administration to the Department of Commerce in 2024; older state pages still show the old home. Source: advance.sc.gov Small Business Division and the SMBCC re-certification packet (2024 revision), 2026-10-15. Research: docs/research/renew-business-certs-2026-10-15/sc.md
If you miss the deadline
Not specified by the board reply — no lapse-grace figure confirmed for any SC license type. Do not display a grace-period claim until confirmed.
What you'll typically need
- Your SC MBE license / registration number
- Current general-liability insurance certificate
- Bond / surety on file
- The renewal fee (confirm the current amount with the authority)
Where to file
General guidance — always confirm the exact requirements with the issuing authority before paying or submitting.
What GC Prep knows about South Carolina — honestly
✔The rules on this page (cycle, CE, bond/insurance). Researched + maintained by us; updated as the boards change them. Free for everyone.
✔Renewal-deadline reminders if you track a license here (by email 6 months, 90, 30, 7 and 2 days out, and in the app as the date nears).
○Auto-import of your CE — partial. South Carolina doesn't expose a public per-contractor CE feed. Pro can read your uploaded certificates and pull from select providers; coverage rolls out provider-by-provider.
○Bond / insurance carrier sync — not in v1. Pro will read an uploaded COI or bond PDF and watch its expiry.
○Filing on your behalf — not in v1. We pre-fill what the renewal needs; you submit it.