South Carolina Osteopathic Physician (DO) license renewal and CE requirements
South Carolina osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 40 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners.
Permanent MD and DO licenses renew biennially and expire June 30 of odd-numbered years; the current license period runs 2025 to 2027. On-time renewal is done online through the LLR portal. A license not renewed by June 30 enters a one-year late renewal period, which must be filed on paper with an additional late fee per month, and after that a reactivation application is required.
Summary
South Carolina osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 40 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners. Permanent MD and DO licenses renew biennially and expire June 30 of odd-numbered years; the current license period runs 2025 to 2027. On-time renewal is done online through the LLR portal. A license not renewed by June 30 enters a one-year late renewal period, which must be filed on paper with an additional late fee per month, and after that a reactivation application is required. South Carolina also mandates specific subjects. Prescribing and monitoring controlled substances in Schedules II, III, and IV: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle. The first renewal is exempt.
South Carolina Osteopathic Physician (DO) 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, 06/30 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 40 CME credits |
| Category 1 minimum | 40 CME credits |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Certification of added qualifications or recertification after examination by an ABMS or AOA recognized national specialty board, or another approved specialty board certification; Completion of a US or Canadian residency or fellowship approved by the ACGME or the AOA; Passage of the Special Purpose Examination (SPEX) or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Variable Purpose Examination (COMVEX); Successful completion of a board-approved clinical skills assessment program, such as the Institute for Physician Evaluation or the Center for Personalized Education for Physicians; Up to 10 hours for uncompensated volunteer medical services, capped at 25 percent of the required credits, under S.C. Code 38-79-30(B), with a letter from the organization submitted for approval |
Forty hours of Category I CME per biennial renewal period, sponsored by the AOA, the AMA, or another organization the board approves as having acceptable standards (S.C. Code 40-47-40(2)(a)); South Carolina accepts AOA and AMA Category I interchangeably for both degrees. At least 30 of the 40 must be directly related to the licensee's practice area. All 40 are Category I, so category_1_minimum equals the total. The board states CME must be completed during the 24-month period preceding the renewal deadline and before the licensee renews online. The statute also lets a physician satisfy the biennial competency requirement entirely through one of the alternatives listed rather than by counting hours. A physician in the first renewal period after initial permanent licensure does not have to complete CME: compliance with the requirements for issuance of the permanent license is sufficient. Active duty military personnel are exempt from continuing education under S.C. Code 40-1-610 and cannot renew online while claiming that exemption.
Required CE topics for South Carolina osteopathic physician (do)s
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prescribing and monitoring controlled substances in Schedules II, III, and IVThe statute is worded as at least two hours of the forty which may be related to approved procedures of prescribing and monitoring controlled substances in Schedules II, III, and IV, and then says every renewal form submitted under Section 40-47-41 must include a certificate of participation for the prescribing and monitoring education, issued by the organization that provided it. The education must come from a statewide organization recognized by the ACCME to accredit continuing medical education organizations in South Carolina, or from a statewide organization approved to provide CME by its national organization that is ACCME accredited. The board publishes a separate statement on the opioid CME requirement and a list of qualifying providers, both only as PDFs that were not read. | 2 CME credits | Every renewal | All licensees | S.C. Code 40-47-40(2)(a) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Category I CME sponsored by the American Osteopathic Association, the American Medical Association, or another organization the board approves as having acceptable standards. The two hours on prescribing and monitoring controlled substances must come from a statewide organization recognized by the ACCME, or from a statewide organization approved by its ACCME-accredited national organization. Licensees renewing on time do not send certificates or transcripts to the board; they keep them, or track them in CE Broker, in case of a board CME audit. Physicians renewing late must submit proof showing the course provider, course title, date of activity, that it was AMA or AOA Category I approved, hours earned, and the recipient's name. Volunteer service hours need a letter from the organization submitted for review and approval. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a South Carolina DO need to renew?
- South Carolina osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 40 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners. Forty hours of Category I CME per biennial renewal period, sponsored by the AOA, the AMA, or another organization the board approves as having acceptable standards (S.C. Code 40-47-40(2)(a)); South Carolina accepts AOA and AMA Category I interchangeably for both degrees. At least 30 of the 40 must be directly related to the licensee's practice area. All 40 are Category I, so category_1_minimum equals the total. The board states CME must be completed during the 24-month period preceding the renewal deadline and before the licensee renews online. The statute also lets a physician satisfy the biennial competency requirement entirely through one of the alternatives listed rather than by counting hours. A physician in the first renewal period after initial permanent licensure does not have to complete CME: compliance with the requirements for issuance of the permanent license is sufficient. Active duty military personnel are exempt from continuing education under S.C. Code 40-1-610 and cannot renew online while claiming that exemption.
- How often does a South Carolina DO license need to be renewed?
- Osteopathic Physician (DO) licenses in South Carolina renew every two years. Permanent MD and DO licenses renew biennially and expire June 30 of odd-numbered years; the current license period runs 2025 to 2027. On-time renewal is done online through the LLR portal. A license not renewed by June 30 enters a one-year late renewal period, which must be filed on paper with an additional late fee per month, and after that a reactivation application is required.
- What specific CE topics are required for South Carolina osteopathic physicians (DO)?
- Prescribing and monitoring controlled substances in Schedules II, III, and IV: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle. Citations: prescribing and monitoring controlled substances in Schedules II, III, and IV (S.C. Code 40-47-40(2)(a)).
- Do South Carolina osteopathic physicians (DO) have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates and the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation. Category I CME sponsored by the American Osteopathic Association, the American Medical Association, or another organization the board approves as having acceptable standards. The two hours on prescribing and monitoring controlled substances must come from a statewide organization recognized by the ACCME, or from a statewide organization approved by its ACCME-accredited national organization. Licensees renewing on time do not send certificates or transcripts to the board; they keep them, or track them in CE Broker, in case of a board CME audit. Physicians renewing late must submit proof showing the course provider, course title, date of activity, that it was AMA or AOA Category I approved, hours earned, and the recipient's name. Volunteer service hours need a letter from the organization submitted for review and approval.
- Is the first South Carolina DO renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. South Carolina does not require continuing education for a DO's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- S.C. Code Title 40 Chapter 47, Physicians and Miscellaneous Health Care Professionals (sections 40-47-25, 40-47-40, 40-47-41)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Renew my License, South Carolina Board of Medical ExaminersState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Continuing Education, South Carolina Board of Medical ExaminersState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- South Carolina Board of Medical ExaminersState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
South Carolina runs one combined board. S.C. Code 40-47-25 says physicians must be licensed to practice medicine in all its branches regardless of whether the physician holds an MD or a DO degree, and the Board of Medical Examiners applies the same chapter, the same 40-hour rule, and the same June 30 odd-year deadline to both, so the MD and DO records cite the same sources. The board's own continuing education page and the S.C. Code of Regulations Chapter 81 are published only as PDFs, which were not downloaded; the statutory text at scstatehouse.gov and the board's HTML renewal page were used instead. Because of that, the retention period for CME records is left null, and the board's separate statement on the opioid CME requirement was not read. One wording point worth flagging: 40-47-40(2)(a) says at least two hours of the forty may be related to prescribing and monitoring controlled substances, but the same paragraph then requires every renewal form to include a certificate of participation for that education, so it is recorded as a requirement with the statutory wording spelled out in the topic notes. Carryover, live or self-study caps, and first-renewal proration of fees are not stated in the sources read and are left null. South Carolina sets no human trafficking, implicit bias, suicide prevention, child abuse reporting, or jurisprudence CME mandate for physicians in the sources read.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.