STATE LICENSE
RequiredSC LLR — Residential Builders Commission …
Residential electricians are one of three specialties South Carolina licenses by exam rather than registers (S.C. Code § 40-59-20(7); Reg. 106-2). The license requires one year of supervised experience within five years, the PSI residential electrical and Business Management and Law exams, a $135 application, a $220 license fee, and a $10,000 bond for jobs over $5,000.
Commercial electrical is the CLB Mechanical 'Electrical' subclassification: wiring and equipment under 600 volts, panels, feeders, lighting, and controls (§ 40-11-410(5)(d)). Low-voltage cabling and communications wiring are on the board's non-regulated list, but the final connection of a sign to the power source requires the Electrical classification.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
South Carolina turns every permit desk into a licensing checkpoint: a city or county building official must refuse a permit unless the applicant shows the required state license or an exemption, and must report suspected violators to LLR (S.C. Code § 40-11-350 for Contractor's Licensing Board work; § 40-59-280 for residential work). Local business licenses are a separate tax layer standardized by § 6-1-400: the license year runs May 1 – April 30, and a license issued on a construction contract may instead expire when the project is completed. Whether the job sits inside the City of Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, or Myrtle Beach — or in unincorporated Charleston, Richland, Greenville, or Horry County — the state credential is the same; what changes is which desk issues the permit and which jurisdiction collects the business license tax. For residential specialty trades, § 40-59-240(C) adds a twist: counties and municipalities may require their own examination and license, but may not re-examine a contractor who already passed a Commission-approved exam in that trade.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every South Carolina county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
A SC Mechanical Contractor licensed by exam with the Electrical classification, or a holder of the Master Electrical exam, can obtain the residential license without the residential technical exam — Business Management and Law is still required.
Exam eligibility lasts one year with three attempts; three failures mean a twelve-month wait (§ 40-59-220(E)).
On homes, solar wiring and connections may only be performed by a residential builder, a licensed residential electrician, or a CLB Mechanical–Electrical licensee.
A practical sequence for a new electrical contractor in South Carolina. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Residential specialty contracting without the required license is a misdemeanor.
Mechanical contracting over $10,000 without a CLB license is a misdemeanor.
Wilfully ignoring a Commission cease-and-desist order brings civil penalties per violation.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Residential electrical exam-waiver states — the RBC electrical FAQ's list is labeled as applying to the Residential Builders license only · Whether any South Carolina municipality separately licenses individual journeyman or master electricians under its own ordinance · PSI exam fees (paid to PSI) · Jurisdiction-specific business license rates and any local trade-license overlays in Charleston, Columbia/Richland County, Greenville, and Horry County/Myrtle Beach were not researched for this record — see the local office records
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.