How many CLE hours are required every reporting cycle in South Carolina?

You report CLE credits in South Carolina by submitting your MCLE Compliance Report to the Commission on CLE by March 1, for the reporting period ending February 28.
Your reporting must certify completion of the required 14 CLE hours (including 2 in ethics) for the preceding cycle.

Overview of South Carolina CLE Reporting

• The CLE year runs from March 1 through February 28.
• Attorneys must complete 14 CLE hours per year, with at least 2 hours in legal ethics / professional responsibility.
• At least 6 hours must be earned via live, in-person instruction.
• Program sponsors must report attendance to the Commission within 30 days.
• Attorneys who exceed the minimum may carry forward up to 14 hours (of which 2 may be ethics) into future years.
• Newly admitted attorneys are exempt from CLE during the first reporting year.
• If you miss reporting by March 1, a late fee applies and you have until April 15 to file; failure leads to administrative suspension.

Steps to Report CLE in South Carolina

• Complete 14 CLE hours (including 2 ethics, and required live hours) by February 28.
• Keep your attendance documentation: certificates, provider name, program title.
• Confirm that sponsors submitted your attendance within 30 days.
• Access the CLE Portal / Commission’s compliance reporting system.
• File your MCLE Compliance Report by March 1.
• Within that report, include any courses not auto-reported, attaching certificates or evidence.
• Pay any late or cure fees, if applicable.
• If you earned credits via Sprout Education, verify that we submitted your attendance where permitted and include any missing credits in your report.

Key Takeaway: In South Carolina, attorneys must earn 14 CLE hours annually and report compliance by March 1 via the Commission’s MCLE Compliance Report. Sprout Education aids with provider reporting where allowed, but you must confirm your record and file the report.

South Carolina attorneys must complete 14 CLE credit hours annually, including 2 hours in legal ethics.

One hour covering substance abuse, mental health, or stress management is also required at least once every two reporting years.

Details

• Reporting year: March 1 through last day of February; compliance reports and fees due by March 1.
• Ethics: At least 2 of the 14 hours must be devoted to legal ethics/professional responsibility.
• Substance Abuse / Mental Health: At least 1 hour in SA/MH must be completed in each two-year span; that hour counts toward general CLE but not toward the ethics requirement.
• Carryover: Excess credits (up to 14 hours) may carry over to the next year, of which at most 2 hours may be ethics credits.
• Exemptions: Attorneys aged 60+ with 30+ years of admission may apply for exemption; newly admitted attorneys are exempt in their admission reporting year.

Key Takeaway: South Carolina requires 14 CLE hours each year, with 2 in ethics and periodic SA/MH training, carryover allowed up to 14 hours (including up to 2 ethics), and defined exemptions for senior or new lawyers.

South Carolina does not offer a “grace period” after the March 1 reporting deadline. Attorneys must file their annual CLE compliance report by March 1 or incur penalties under Rule 408.

Reporting Year & Deadline

• Reporting year: March 1 through the last day of February.
• Compliance reports must be submitted by March 1, along with the required fees.

Waivers, Not Extensions

• The Commission may waive or modify obligations in cases of hardship or extenuating circumstances.
• However, the rules explicitly state the Commission has no authority to extend the deadline for compliance reporting or automatic suspension.

Key Takeaway: In South Carolina, the deadline for filing CLE compliance is March 1 with no built-in grace period — only conditional waivers may apply for extraordinary circumstances.

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.

No — South Carolina’s CLE rules do not distinguish between part-time and full-time attorneys; all active bar members must satisfy the same CLE requirement (unless exempt).

South Carolina requires each active member of the Bar to complete 14 hours of approved CLE credit annually, including at least 2 hours in legal ethics/professional responsibility.

Details:

• At least once every two reporting years, one hour must be in substance abuse, mental health, or stress management.
• Credits in excess of 14 may be carried forward to the next year (up to 14 hours), with a cap of 2 for ethics (LEPR) credits.
• In-house CLE (by law firms or corporate legal departments) is allowed, but subject to conditions (for example, at most half of required credits in a period).
• Exemptions exist (e.g. members aged 60 or older with 30 years of admission, inactive members, new admittees in their first reporting year, certified specialists under CLE rules).
• Failure to comply by March 1 triggers suspension and related penalties under SCACR Rule 408.

Key Takeaway: In South Carolina, part-time practice does not reduce CLE commitments — all active attorneys must meet the full 14-hour annual requirement (subject to standard exemptions and rules).

Yes — under South Carolina’s CLE rules, certain attorneys are exempt from the 14-hour requirement, subject to conditions and certification.

The exemptions are spelled out in SCACR Rule 408 and CLE Commission Regulations.

Details / Exceptions

• Certified specialists who meet the CLE requirements for their specialty are exempt — although they must still include ethics and substance abuse credits.
• Attorneys at least 60 years old with 30 or more years of admission may apply for exemption from the CLE requirement.
• Inactive members, retired members, and military members are exempt from the standard CLE requirement.
• Judicial members subject to their own judicial CLE rules are exempt from the standard CLE requirements.
• Federal judges and federal administrative law judges are exempt.
• Newly admitted attorneys are exempt during the reporting year of admission (but must still satisfy an “Essentials” course unless otherwise exempt).
• The CLE Commission may waive or modify requirements in extraordinary hardship or extenuating circumstances.

Key Takeaway
South Carolina provides a range of targeted exemptions (senior lawyers, retired/inactive, specialists, judiciary, military, new admits) — but those exemptions must be claimed via formal application or certification under Rule 408.