What are the CLE requirements for inactive attorneys in South Carolina?

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.

No — in South Carolina, you cannot request a general extension of the CLE reporting deadline; the CLE Commission lacks authority to extend compliance deadlines for Bar members. Rules allow only for waiver or modification of CLE requirements in individual cases of extraordinary hardship or extenuating circumstances.

Overview of South Carolina CLE Rules

• The reporting year runs from March 1 through the last day of February. SCACR Rule 408 requires reports of compliance by March 1.
• For good cause shown — in “extraordinary hardship or extenuating circumstances” — the Commission may waive or modify CLE requirements in individual cases.
• But under the same regulations, “the Commission has no authority to extend the deadlines for compliance reporting, and all requests for such extensions made to the Commission will be denied.”

What You Should Do

1. If you face hardship or extenuating circumstances, apply to the CLE Commission for a waiver or modification (not an extension).
2. In your request, fully describe the circumstances and propose how you will catch up.
3. Be aware that, if a waiver is granted, the Commission may increase your CLE requirement for the following year as a condition.
4. Comply as soon as possible — relief only affects how the rule is applied, not the base obligation.

Limitations & Important Notes

• Waivers or modifications are discretionary — there is no entitlement to relief.
• You cannot use “extension” language — the rule explicitly prohibits extending the compliance deadline for Bar members.
• Relief is only for that reporting year — repeated hardship requests may draw scrutiny.

Key Takeaway
South Carolina does not allow extensions of CLE reporting deadlines for Bar members; only waiver or modification may be granted in rare hardship cases, but the deadline itself cannot be extended.

Yes — judges in South Carolina have a separate judicial continuing legal education requirement (Rule 504), distinct from the CLE requirement for attorneys (Rule 408).

Judicial members must complete at least 15 hours of approved judicial education each year, with a substance abuse / mental health credit required every two years.

Details

• Rule 504 (SCACR) defines “judge” broadly (Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, circuit court, family court, probate judges, masters-in-equity) and requires 15 hours annually.
• Excess judicial credit beyond 15 hours may be carried forward, but only within limits (no more than three succeeding reporting periods).
• Once every two reporting years, judges must take one hour exclusively on substance abuse / mental health / stress management.
• Magistrates and municipal judges have their own separate CLE rules under Rule 510 (e.g. 18 hours for magistrates, 14 hours for municipal judges, including ethics and civil/criminal hour allocations).
• The attorney CLE rule, Rule 408, requires 14 CLE hours for bar members, including 2 in ethics; judicial members are not subject to Rule 408’s CLE regime while under Rule 504.

Key Takeaway

In South Carolina, judges must satisfy a distinct judicial education mandate (15 hours annually under Rule 504) separate from the attorney CLE requirement, and lower court judges (magistrates, municipal) have further special CLE rules under Rule 510.

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.

No — attorneys in South Carolina do not generally submit all CLE credits online themselves; CLE providers report attendance, and attorneys file an annual Compliance Report by March 1.

Some online programs trigger reporting by their sponsors, and attorneys may need to attach certificates to their Compliance Report.

Details:

• The CLE reporting year in SC runs from March 1 through February 28/29, with the Compliance Report due on or before March 1.
• CLE providers (including online or on-demand course sponsors) must report attendance to the Commission on CLE & Specialization.
• For on-demand SC Bar programs, a weekly report is sent to the Commission reflecting completion, and the attendee also downloads and submits the certificate with their final Compliance Report.
• The Compliance Report is not a pure “online upload of every credit”; it is a formal filing in which attorneys list courses, attach needed documentation, and certify compliance.
• Late filings may incur a late fee; failure to file can lead to suspension under SCACR Rule 419.

Key Takeaway
You cannot simply upload each CLE credit online in South Carolina — sponsors report attendance, and you submit a formal annual Compliance Report by March 1, including attachments where needed.

In South Carolina, CLE credit counts when the course is approved by the Commission on CLE & Specialization (or designated under SCACR), including live, broadcast, distance, teaching, and specialty programming.

Attorneys must complete 14 approved hours yearly, with at least 2 in ethics and periodic substance abuse/mental health training.

Qualifying CLE activities

• Attendance at Commission-approved courses (live in-person, seminars)
• Alternatively delivered courses (ADO/ADT: online, telephonic) — up to 8 hours per year
• Teaching or presenting accredited CLE programs
• Publication or authorship of approved legal materials (if accredited)
• Education in substance abuse / mental health or stress management (mandated at least once every two years)
• Live, in-person instruction (must earn at least 6 live credits annually)

Limits, specialty rules & carryover

• At least 2 of the 14 hours must be Legal Ethics / Professional Responsibility (LEPR)
• At least once every two years, complete 1 hour devoted exclusively to substance abuse / mental health (SA/MH); SA/MH credit does not count toward LEPR requirement
• Maximum of 8 hours per year may come from ADO/ADT (alternatively delivered) formats
• Live in-person courses: you must earn at least 6 hours via in-person instruction (webcasts / alternative do not qualify as live)
• Carryover: excess CLE hours (up to 14) may carry forward, including up to 2 LEPR hours; ADO/ADT credit may not carry forward
• SA/MH credit earned during the two-year cycle cannot be carried forward to a new cycle
• Newly admitted attorneys are exempt in their admission reporting year; during their first year they must also complete an Essentials series course administered by the SC Bar (which counts toward CLE)

Key Takeaway: In South Carolina, approved live, broadcast, distance, teaching, and specialty CLE credit count—subject to caps on online credit, live minimums, ethics and SA/MH mandates, and controlled carryover—so meeting those format and topic requirements is essential.