Do CLE requirements differ for part-time vs full-time attorneys in South Carolina?

You can’t formally “report” your South Carolina CLE credits (i.e. file your annual compliance report) until after the reporting year ends (February 28). The reporting window opens on March 1 (deadline same day).

During the year, approved CLE providers must submit attendance data (within 30 days of the course) so your credits appear in the Commission’s records.

Key Details

• The CLE reporting year runs March 1 through the last day of February. (SCACR Rule 408)
• Active attorneys must complete 14 hours of approved CLE annually, including at least 2 in legal ethics/professional responsibility.
• Course sponsors must file attendance verification within 30 days after the program.
• Your compliance report is due on or before March 1 following the close of the reporting year.
• Late filings may incur penalties, and failure to comply may lead to suspension of your license under Rule 419.

Key Takeaway
In South Carolina, you begin seeing credits in your record shortly after courses occur (as providers report), but the earliest you can formally submit your CLE compliance report is March 1 — after the February 28 reporting year ends.

South Carolina attorneys must complete 14 CLE credit hours each reporting year. That requirement includes at least 2 hours in legal ethics, and at least 1 hour of substance abuse/mental health every two years.

Annual CLE Requirements in South Carolina

• Total requirement: 14 credit hours per year
• Ethics requirement: 2 credit hours
• Substance abuse/mental health (SA/MH): 1 hour every two reporting years (part of general credits)
• Compliance cycle: March 1 through end of February
• Reporting deadline: March 1

Carryover & Format Limits

• Excess credits: may carry forward up to 14 credits, of which up to 2 may be ethics (LEPR) credits
• Alternatively delivered courses (online, telephonic) cannot be carried forward
• In each two-year span, the SA/MH credit cannot be carried over

Exemptions & New Admittees

• Newly admitted attorneys are exempt from CLE in the reporting year in which they are admitted
• During their first required reporting year, new attorneys must complete an “Essentials Series” course, which counts toward their MCLE hours

Key Takeaway: South Carolina requires 14 CLE hours annually, with 2 in ethics, a biennial SA/MH hour, carryover up to 14 credits (with limits), and an annual March 1 reporting deadline.

Inactive members of the South Carolina Bar are exempt from CLE requirements.

The CLE rule (SCACR Rule 408) explicitly lists “inactive members” as exempt from the 14-hour annual CLE duty.

Details

• Active members must complete 14 hours of approved CLE each reporting year, including at least 2 hours of ethics.
• The rule also provides that, among those exempt, are “inactive members, military members, and retired members.”
• Inactive status prohibits an attorney from engaging in the practice of law in South Carolina.

Key Takeaway

In South Carolina, inactive status carries a full CLE exemption; active lawyers must satisfy the 14-hour CLE rule annually, but inactive attorneys owe nothing while they remain inactive.

If you miss South Carolina’s CLE deadline, you may face suspension unless you cure the deficiency and pay any penalties. South Carolina attorneys must complete 14 credit hours (including 2 in ethics and 1 substance abuse/mental health biennially) during the reporting year (March 1 to last day of February) and submit proof of compliance by March 1.

South Carolina CLE Deadline & Reporting

• March 1: Deadline to file your CLE compliance report and pay required filing fee.
• If you failed to complete required credits: The Commission may assess a penalty and require you to catch up credits before approving compliance.

Consequences & Suspension

• If you do not timely file or cure your deficiency, the Commission may suspend you under SCACR Rule 408 and refer the case under Rule 419.
• The Court may enter a suspension order until you have satisfied all requirements, paid fees, and demonstrated compliance.
• In cases of hardship or extenuating circumstances, the Commission may waive or modify the requirements, possibly with increased CLE in a future period.

Key Takeaway: Missing South Carolina’s March 1 CLE reporting deadline triggers potential suspension under Rule 408 if you do not cure the deficiency; relief is possible with timely compliance, payment, or a granted waiver.

Attorneys in South Carolina submit an Annual Report of Compliance to the SC Commission on CLE via a commission-prescribed form by March 1 following the reporting year. Providers must file attendance separately within 30 days of each program, and attorneys retain Uniform Certificates of Attendance for audit.

Key Details:

• The CLE reporting year runs March 1 through the last day of February, and attorney compliance reports are due by March 1.
• Providers must report attendee names, South Carolina Bar numbers, and course details to the Commission within 30 days of the program.
• Attorneys receive and may submit Uniform Certificate of Attendance (Appendix C) to claim credit; these certificates must be retained for later verification.
• If an attorney misses March 1, a late filing fee and administrative suspension per Rule 408 may follow.

Key Takeaway: In South Carolina, CLE reporting is through an annual compliance form due March 1, supported by provider attendance submissions and attorney-maintained certificates.

Yes — South Carolina allows carryover of CLE credits, with limitations.
Judicial CLE credits may carry over more liberally, but for active Bar members the Commission’s regulation allows up to 14 credits of Bar CLE carryover, with restrictions.

Details & nuances

• Under the SCCCLE Regulations, judicial members may carry forward excess CLE credit up to 30 hours for the next year.
• For active Bar members, the Commission’s FAQ states: “The maximum carry-forward credit is 14 hours of MCLE credit, of which two (2) hours may be LEPR (ethics) credit.”
• The carryover excludes credit from “alternatively delivered” courses (e.g. on-demand) — those credits are not eligible for carryover.
• Credits earned during the admission year (except for the Bar’s Essentials series) may not be carried into the first reporting year.
• The general rule for Bar members is: you may carry up to 14 hours into the next year, but only up to 2 may be ethics (LEPR), and on-demand credits do not carry over.

Key Takeaway
In South Carolina, active attorneys may carry over up to 14 CLE credits (with up to 2 in ethics), but only from live or interactive programs — on-demand credits are excluded, and carryover only spans one year.