South Carolina · SC
South Carolina Real Estate License Checklist (2026)
Every step, fee, and deadline on one page — designed to print cleanly to PDF and check off as you go.
Before you start
- You are at least 18 years old
- You hold a high school diploma or GED
- You can pass a criminal background check / fingerprinting
Education
South Carolina's 90 hours split into two courses: the 60-hour Unit I Fundamentals of Real Estate and the 30-hour Unit II Advanced Real Estate Principles. Only Unit I is required to sit for the exam — Unit II can be finished after you pass, but must be completed before the Commission will issue your license. This replaced the old post-licensing model, so SC has no separate post-license course.
- Complete the 60-hour Unit I (Fundamentals of Real Estate) course from a SCREC-approved provider and pass the course final with at least 70%
- Submit the exam application to the SC Real Estate Commission with the $25 fee and your Unit I certificate, then schedule with PSI once approved
- Pass both portions of the PSI exam ($63 per attempt)
- Complete the 30-hour Unit II (Advanced Real Estate Principles) course — before or after the exam, but before licensure
Application & exam
- After passing the exam, submit the license application with the $50 fee within one year of your exam pass date, including your Unit II certificate
- Complete the state and national fingerprint-based criminal background check (SLED + FBI) through IdentoGO — but wait for the Commission to send your fingerprint instructions first; prints done before instructions arrive may not be accepted (roughly $45–$55, and allow 3+ weeks for results)
- Provide sponsorship from a South Carolina Broker-in-Charge (BIC) to be issued on active status — or request the license on inactive status if you don't have a BIC yet
- The Commission issues the license once education, exam, background check, and (if active) BIC affiliation are all verified
Budget
| Item | Estimate | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 90-hour pre-licensing education (Unit I + Unit II) | $300 – $700 | |
| Exam application fee (to SCREC) | $25 | |
| PSI exam fee | $63 per attempt | |
| License application fee | $50 | |
| Fingerprinting / SLED + FBI background check | $45 – $55 | |
| Estimated total | $500 – $950 |
Key deadlines
- Only Unit I is required to sit for the exam — Unit II can be finished after you pass, but must be completed before the Commission will issue your license.
- This replaced the old post-licensing model, so SC has no separate post-license course.
- Every 2 years, expiring June 30 of even-numbered years (renewals open April 1).
- Complete the 30-hour Unit II (Advanced Real Estate Principles) course — before or after the exam, but before licensure
- After passing the exam, submit the license application with the $50 fee within one year of your exam pass date, including your Unit II certificate
- Complete the state and national fingerprint-based criminal background check (SLED + FBI) through IdentoGO — but wait for the Commission to send your fingerprint instructions first; prints done before instructions arrive may not be accepted (roughly $45–$55, and allow 3+ weeks for results)
- Typically 2 to 4 months.
- The 60-hour Unit I course takes 3–6 weeks, and you can sit for the exam right after it — then knock out the 30-hour Unit II while you wait on paperwork.