Updated for 2026

South Carolina LAC Continuing Education Requirements

South Carolina addiction counselors must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LAC license, including 6 hours of ethics and 1 hour of suicide prevention.

40hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 40
6ethics
1suicide prevention

Next deadline: August 31, 2027The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by August 31 of odd years.

Where this comes from
State source
South Carolina board rule
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.4

Every figure on this page is read from this rule, and the page refreshes when the ruleset changes. How we verify

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Requirements

South Carolina LAC requirements

Total

40 hoursYou need 40 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by August 31 of odd years.

Topic minimums, counted within the 40

The remaining 33 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Ethics
6
You need 6 hours each cycle.
Suicide Prevention
1
You need 1 hour each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Informal continuing education
max 15 hrs
First time presentation
max 5 hrs
Publication
max 5 hrs
Teaching new course
max 5 hrs

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by August 31 of odd years.
New licensees
The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 3 years after each course's completion date.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
A late renewal adds a late fee.

To keep your proof in order, see what to keep for a CE audit, which covers every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.

Your hours

Check where you stand

Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before August 31, 2027.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full Addiction Counselor CE hours calculator
Full board policy details
  • A single-license holder may earn no more than 15 of 40 hours through informal CE. Informal CE includes individual self-study and noninteractive online courses as well as listed presentation, publication, course-preparation, reading, and discussion-group activities.
  • Live interactive webinars that allow real-time questions and comments qualify as formal CE. Multiple-license holders owe 50 formal hours, so informal activities cannot satisfy their requirement.
  • First-time presentations, qualifying publications, and preparation of a new course are each limited to 5 hours and must be tagged as informal CE so they also count against the 15-hour aggregate cap.
  • Course repeat restriction: presenter credit is limited to the first presentation, and a publication may be claimed only once. The Board materials do not impose a general repeat-course ban on attendees.
  • Excess CE hours may NOT be carried forward to the next renewal cycle. Each cycle's hours must be earned within the September 1 – August 31 biennial reporting window.
  • License status: South Carolina does not offer a formal inactive or retired status for LPCs/LMFTs. A licensee who does not renew lets the license lapse and may not practice. Reinstatement requires the applicable fees and CE evidence; after more than two years lapsed, the person must reapply for licensure.
  • Supervisor-license holders owe 10 formal supervision hours in addition to the underlying 40-hour single-license requirement. A person with both supervisor credentials still owes 10 supervision hours, at least 5 in each discipline.
  • Dual licensure requires 50 formal hours, including 6 ethics hours and 1 suicide-prevention hour. Discipline content must be divided as equally as possible; that qualitative allocation is left for manual review. A dual-license holder who also maintains supervisor status owes 60 total hours.

South Carolina LAC CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do South Carolina LAC licensees need?

South Carolina requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LAC license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by August 31 of odd years.

How many ethics hours are required for South Carolina LAC licensees?

Of the total, 6 hours must be in ethics.

How often do South Carolina LAC licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by August 31 of odd years.

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for South Carolina LAC licensees?

Yes. In addition to ethics, South Carolina requires 1 hour of suicide prevention.

Is the first renewal different for new South Carolina LAC licensees?

The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.

Sources and verification

State source
South Carolina board rule
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.4

We reviewed this page against the South Carolina board source, and we refresh it from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is for guidance only, not legal or board advice. Always confirm requirements with your licensing board before renewing. See something wrong? Report it

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South Carolina guides & data

What to keep for a CE audit →Learn what boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, and what the notice looks like, then use the printable checklist.South Carolina mental health workforce data →15,770 active providers, or 283.1 per 100,000 residents, ranked 44 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other South Carolina CE requirement pages

South Carolina LPCSouth Carolina LMFTSouth Carolina LCSWSouth Carolina Psychologist

Addiction Counselor CE requirements in other states