South Carolina Occupational Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
South Carolina occupational therapists must complete 16 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy.
Licenses renew every other year on March 15, and it is the licensee's responsibility to renew whether or not a notice is received. The board's renewal page lists a March 15, 2027 deadline for both occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, with the next renewal March 15, 2029, and gives the biennial reporting period for the 2027 renewal as March 16, 2025 through March 15, 2027. An application not postmarked before March 16 may be renewed with a late penalty until April 16; a license not renewed by April 16 lapses automatically.
Summary
South Carolina occupational therapists must complete 16 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy. Licenses renew every other year on March 15, and it is the licensee's responsibility to renew whether or not a notice is received. The board's renewal page lists a March 15, 2027 deadline for both occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, with the next renewal March 15, 2029, and gives the biennial reporting period for the 2027 renewal as March 16, 2025 through March 15, 2027. An application not postmarked before March 16 may be renewed with a late penalty until April 16; a license not renewed by April 16 lapses automatically.
South Carolina Occupational Therapist renewal and continuing education rules
"Not stated" means the board's pages and rules we read do not address it. We do not fill in typical values.
| Renewal cycle | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 03/15 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 16 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
South Carolina Code section 40-36-260 and the board's continuing education page use the same sentence: a licensee must satisfactorily complete sixteen hours of continuing education per biennium as defined in regulation, must submit proof of completion on a form approved by the board, and must be certified and in good standing with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) or another board-approved certification program. Current NBCOT certification is therefore a renewal condition in its own right, not a source of hours; the board's renewal page repeats that NBCOT certification must remain active and in good standing at all times. The board does not pre-approve continuing education experiences. Acceptable criteria, category limits and any alternative activities are set out in Chapter 94, Articles 1 and 4 of the S.C. Code of Regulations, which the board publishes only as a PDF that was not read for this record.
Required CE topics for South Carolina occupational therapists
The South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy pages and rules we read do not mandate specific subject areas for this license type. Hours may be in any approved subject.
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | The board will not pre-approve continuing education experiences and points licensees to the guidelines in Chapter 94 of the S.C. Code of Regulations to judge what meets the acceptable criteria and limits. CE Broker is the board's continuing education tracking system. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a South Carolina OT need to renew?
- South Carolina occupational therapists must complete 16 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy. South Carolina Code section 40-36-260 and the board's continuing education page use the same sentence: a licensee must satisfactorily complete sixteen hours of continuing education per biennium as defined in regulation, must submit proof of completion on a form approved by the board, and must be certified and in good standing with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) or another board-approved certification program. Current NBCOT certification is therefore a renewal condition in its own right, not a source of hours; the board's renewal page repeats that NBCOT certification must remain active and in good standing at all times. The board does not pre-approve continuing education experiences. Acceptable criteria, category limits and any alternative activities are set out in Chapter 94, Articles 1 and 4 of the S.C. Code of Regulations, which the board publishes only as a PDF that was not read for this record.
- How often does a South Carolina OT license need to be renewed?
- Occupational Therapist licenses in South Carolina renew every two years. Licenses renew every other year on March 15, and it is the licensee's responsibility to renew whether or not a notice is received. The board's renewal page lists a March 15, 2027 deadline for both occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, with the next renewal March 15, 2029, and gives the biennial reporting period for the 2027 renewal as March 16, 2025 through March 15, 2027. An application not postmarked before March 16 may be renewed with a late penalty until April 16; a license not renewed by April 16 lapses automatically.
- Does South Carolina require specific CE topics for occupational therapists?
- The South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy does not list mandated subject areas for OT renewal on the pages we verified; the 16 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do South Carolina occupational therapists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal. The board will not pre-approve continuing education experiences and points licensees to the guidelines in Chapter 94 of the S.C. Code of Regulations to judge what meets the acceptable criteria and limits. CE Broker is the board's continuing education tracking system.
Sources
Last verified September 9, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- S.C. Code Title 40, Chapter 36, Occupational Therapists, section 40-36-260Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
- Continuing Education, South Carolina Board of Occupational TherapyState board page, accessed September 9, 2026
- License Renewal Resource, South Carolina Board of Occupational TherapyState board page, accessed September 9, 2026
- South Carolina Board of Occupational TherapyState board page, accessed September 9, 2026
The 16 hour biennial total, the March 15 odd year deadline, the lapse date and the NBCOT condition were read on two official hosts: S.C. Code section 40-36-260 at scstatehouse.gov and the board's own continuing education and renewal pages at llr.sc.gov. South Carolina has a standalone occupational therapy board under the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, separate from the South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. The implementing regulation, Chapter 94 of the S.C. Code of Regulations, is published only as a PDF (https://www.scstatehouse.gov/coderegs/Chapter%2094.pdf) and was not opened, so category limits, self-study caps, carryover, record retention, audit practice and any first renewal proration are left null, and mandatory_topics is empty because no mandated subject appears in the statute or on the board's pages rather than because Chapter 94 was checked and found silent. The board's renewal page has a copy and paste error naming the Board of Chiropractic Examiners in its CE Broker paragraph; the rest of that page is specific to occupational therapy.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.