What Are the CLE Requirements for South Carolina Attorneys?
South Carolina attorneys need 14 CLE hours each reporting year under Rule 408, SCACR, including 2 hours of legal ethics and professional responsibility (LEPR), plus 1 hour on substance abuse, mental health or stress at least every two years.
The reporting year runs March 1 through the last day of February, and compliance reports are due March 1 to the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization.
Newly admitted lawyers are exempt in their admission year and must complete the SC Bar Essentials Series in their first required reporting year.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
The Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, which administers CLE under Rule 408, SCACR.
14 hours of approved CLE each reporting year.
March 1 through the last day of February; compliance reports are due March 1.
2 hours of legal ethics/professional responsibility (LEPR), plus 1 hour on substance abuse, mental health or stress at least every two years.
Not established in our research — ask the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization.
Exempt in the admission year; the SC Bar Essentials Series is required in the first required reporting year.
Not established in our research — ask the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization.
How many CLE hours does South Carolina require?
South Carolina lawyers need 14 CLE hours per reporting year.
Rule 408, SCACR requires all members of the South Carolina Bar to attend at least 14 hours of approved CLE courses each reporting year.
Within those 14 hours, at least 2 must be devoted to legal ethics and professional responsibility (LEPR).
Attorneys must also complete 1 hour on substance abuse, mental health or stress at least every two years.
“at least fourteen (14) hours of approved CLE courses each reporting year”
What specialty credits are required (ethics, bias, wellness, tech)?
Our research found two specialty requirements in the rule text we read.
At least 2 of the 14 annual hours must be devoted to legal ethics and professional responsibility (LEPR).
In addition to the ethics hours, members must complete 1 hour on substance abuse, mental health or stress at least every two years.
Beyond those, our research found no required bias or technology credit in the rule text we read.
If you are planning a year's hours around a specialty credit, confirm the current credit list with the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, because rules change.
“At least two (2) of the fourteen (14) hours required annually shall be devoted to legal ethics/professional responsibility (LEPR).”
When is the deadline and how do you report?
The reporting year runs from March 1 through the last day of February.
Compliance reports are due March 1 to the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, the body that administers South Carolina's CLE program under Rule 408, SCACR.
Our research did not establish the reporting mechanics — the form, portal or attestation step — or whether course providers report attendance on your behalf, so confirm how to file with the Commission.
“The reporting year under this rule shall run from March 1 through the last day in February.”
What are the rules for newly admitted attorneys?
Newly admitted South Carolina lawyers are exempt from the CLE requirement in their admission year.
In their first required reporting year, they must complete the SC Bar Essentials Series course in addition to satisfying the standard CLE requirement.
The Essentials Series is administered by the South Carolina Bar.
“must complete an Essentials Series course administered by the South Carolina Bar, in addition to satisfying the CLE requirements”
Can you complete CLE online or on demand?
South Carolina's rule sets the 14-hour annual total and its specialty requirements, but the provisions our research read do not state how many of those hours South Carolina allows online or on demand, or whether any portion must be live.
Format and approval questions belong with the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization.
Carryover and exemptions
On carryover, our research did not establish whether extra South Carolina CLE hours carry into the next reporting year, so confirm any carryover with the Commission before you count on one.
On exemptions, the rule we read exempts newly admitted lawyers in their admission year, the same provision that pairs with the Essentials Series requirement in their first required reporting year.
Our research did not catalogue the rule's full exemption list, so confirm your circumstances with the Commission before assuming an exemption applies.
What happens if you miss the deadline?
South Carolina's rule sets a March 1 reporting deadline, but our research did not establish what follows a late or missed compliance report — no late-fee amount, deficiency procedure or reinstatement process was confirmed in the material we read.
Direct questions about a late or delinquent report to the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, which receives the March 1 compliance reports.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the South Carolina court rules, board and bar pages and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state CLE requirements series, current as of October 2026.
It is not a substitute for the instructions the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, which administers CLE under Rule 408, SCACR publishes.
For the rest of the picture in South Carolina, see bar admission rules in South Carolina.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CLE hours do South Carolina attorneys need each year?
South Carolina attorneys need 14 hours of approved CLE each reporting year under Rule 408, SCACR.
Within that total, at least 2 hours must cover legal ethics and professional responsibility (LEPR).
Members also need 1 hour on substance abuse, mental health or stress at least every two years.
Confirm the current requirements with the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization before you plan your year.
When is the South Carolina CLE deadline?
The reporting year runs from March 1 through the last day of February, and compliance reports are due March 1 to the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization.
That means hours are earned during the March-to-February year and reported on March 1.
Our research did not establish what follows a missed report, so direct questions about a late or delinquent report to the Commission.
Do newly admitted South Carolina attorneys have to complete CLE?
Not in their admission year.
Newly admitted South Carolina lawyers are exempt from the CLE requirement for the year they are admitted.
In their first required reporting year, they must complete the SC Bar Essentials Series course administered by the South Carolina Bar, in addition to satisfying the standard CLE requirement.
Is there a carryover of extra CLE hours in South Carolina?
Our research did not establish whether South Carolina lets attorneys carry extra CLE hours into the next reporting year, so confirm any carryover with the Commission before you count on one.
The one exemption our research confirmed is for newly admitted lawyers, who are exempt from the requirement in their admission year.
The Commission, which administers South Carolina's CLE program under Rule 408, SCACR, can speak to other exemption categories.
Who regulates CLE for South Carolina attorneys?
The Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization administers South Carolina's mandatory CLE program under Rule 408, SCACR, and compliance reports are due to it each March 1.
It is the body to ask about exemptions, online or on-demand format limits, carryover and missed deadlines.
More South Carolina Resources
Sources
- South Carolina Judicial Branch: Rule 408, SCACR (retrieved 2026-10-02)
Sourced from the documents listed above.
Verified October 2026.
This is career information, not legal advice.
Confirm current rules with the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, which administers CLE under Rule 408, SCACR.