Requirements for Reciprocal Certificates
| Reciprocal Professional Certificate | Reciprocal Professional Certificate (National Board Certification) | Reciprocal Initial Certificate* |
| Will be valid for five academic school years | Will be valid for the remainder of the National Board Certification | Valid for three academic school years |
| Must present valid standard out-of-state certificate. Subject/s shown
on the certificate must be considered comparable to a subject/s issued in
South Carolina. All certification areas issued in that state will also be
issued on the South Carolina certificate provided the areas are initially
requested on the application. Areas not requested initially would have
to meet South Carolina’s add-on requirements at the date of the
request. |
Valid National Board Certification and valid standard out-of-state certificate.
Subject/s shown on the NBC certificate must be considered comparable to
the subject/s issued in South Carolina. Will be given professional certificate
in the NBC area only.
Or..if the Reciprocal Professional requirement applies, a certificate
can be issued in those areas for the remainder of the NBC period. |
Must present valid standard out-of-state certificate. Subject/s shown on the certificate must be considered comparable to a subject/s issued in South Carolina. All certification areas issued in that state will also be issued on the South Carolina certificate provided the areas are initially requested on the application. Areas not requested initially would have to meet South Carolina's add-on requirements at the date of the request. |
| Must present verification of 27 months of full or part-time PreK-12 school teaching experience in the last seven years on that valid standard certificate. | For those who hold less than three years of teaching experience, or for those who do not teach the 27 months of full or part-time PreK-12 school teaching experience in the last seven years on that valid standard certificate. | |
| Content exams will not be required for certification purposes, however, may be required for Highly Qualified status. | Content exams will not be required for certification purposes, however, may be required for Highly Qualified status in areas other than National Board area. | Content exams will not be required for certification purposes, however, may be required for Highly Qualified status.
The appropriate level of Principles of Teaching and Learning (PLT) and ADEPT must be presented during the life of the Initial Certificate and before the Professional certificate is issued. |
| Copy of front and back of valid standard out of state certificate. | Verification of National Board Certification and copy of front and back of valid standard out of state certificate. | Copy of front and back of valid standard out of state certificate. |
| Verification of all teaching experience (download forms from www.scteachers.org | Verification of all teaching experience (download forms from www.scteachers.org | Verification of all teaching experience (download forms from www.scteachers.org |
| Graduated from a regionally accredited institution | Graduated from a regionally accredited institution | Graduated from a regionally accredited institution |
| Complete application | Complete application | Complete application |
| Complete the electronic fingerprint process | Complete the electronic fingerprint process | Complete the electronic fingerprint process |
| Application fee | Application fee | Application fee |
*Graduates of in-state approved teacher preparation programs (South Carolina) who do not qualify for a reciprocal professional certificate must meet all South Carolina initial certification requirements including the required Praxis II tests unless they have previously held an initial South Carolina certificate.
Interstate reciprocity does not apply to Career & Technology Education Work-Based Certification.