Nursing home administrator license requirements in South Carolina.

Board

South Carolina Board of Long Term Health Care Administrators (S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Education floor

60+ college semester hours South Carolina's floor is a health-related associate degree plus three years of full-time practical experience in nursing home or related health care administration. A baccalaureate degree other than health care administration needs two years of practical experience; a baccalaureate or higher in health care administration (or a health care degree) needs one year. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Administrator-in-Training hours

1,872 to 5,616 hours depending on your degree or experience

• 1,872 hours: Baccalaureate or higher degree in health care administration (or a health care degree), plus 1 year of full-time (36 hours/week) practical experience in nursing home or related health care administration, with at least 6 months of it in at least two specified functional areas (business/fiscal, direct patient care, or supporting services).
• 3,744 hours: Baccalaureate degree in a field other than health care administration, plus 2 years of full-time (36 hours/week) practical experience in nursing home or related health care administration.
• 5,616 hours: Health-related associate degree, plus 3 years of full-time (36 hours/week) practical experience in nursing home or related health care administration.

Board source · checked 2026-07-29

National NAB exams

Required (CORE of Knowledge + Nursing Home Administrator) Applicants must pass the NAB CORE Exam and the Nursing Home Administrators Line of Service exam. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Separate state exam

Required Applicants must also pass South Carolina's own NHA State Exam (50 multiple-choice questions, 2-hour limit) in addition to the national NAB CORE and Line-of-Service exams (150 questions, 3-hour limit). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Initial license fee

$375 Application for Licensure $200 plus Initial Licensure Period fee $175 (Board Fee List). Provisional license ($500) and re-examination ($135) fees apply only in those specific situations. National exam fees are paid directly to NAB. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Renewal fee

$175 Annual active-status renewal fee; a $50 late fee applies after the June 30 renewal deadline. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Continuing education

20 hours per annual cycle 20 hours of continuing education per year for a Nursing Home Administrator, with at least 5 hours in patient care (S.C. Code Regs. 93-200). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Reciprocity / endorsement

endorsement available South Carolina does not issue a blanket reciprocal license, but an administrator already licensed in another state who has passed the national NAB exam may have that score transferred to South Carolina, or have the original licensing state complete an Endorsement Licensure Questionnaire; South Carolina's own State Exam must still be passed. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Assisted living / RCAL administrator license

Licensed separately South Carolina licenses Community Residential Care Facility Administrators (CRCFA) as a separate credential under the same Board, with dual NHA/CRCFA licensure available; a currently licensed South Carolina nursing home administrator with 2+ years' experience is exempt from the CRCFA on-site work-experience requirement. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Statutes and rules: S.C. Code of Laws Title 40, Chapter 35 (Nursing Home Administrators); S.C. Code of Regulations Chapter 93 (Board of Long Term Health Care Administrators). Figures change on the board's own schedule. Confirm against the board before you apply or pay.

1. Get your checklist. The requirements wizard resolves South Carolina's requirements for your exact degree.
2. Plan your hours. The AIT-hours tracker turns South Carolina's hour target into a finish date.
3. Moving here from another state? The reciprocity checker reads South Carolina's endorsement rule.
4. Also want assisted living? Read holding both a nursing home and an assisted living administrator license for how South Carolina's two credentials relate.