- Residential specialty rules apply to jobs over $500. A commercial mechanical contractor license is needed when the job is over $10,000.
- Residential: one year of experience under a licensed contractor within the last five years. Commercial: two years of experience within the last five years.
- Plan for a trade exam and a business and law exam.
- Residential: $10,000 surety bond if you take jobs over $5,000. Commercial: a financial statement or surety bond for your group limit.
- Residential: every two years before June 30 of odd years. Commercial mechanical licenses expire October 31 of odd years.
Do you need a state license in South Carolina?
South Carolina licenses electrical work at the state level through the South Carolina LLR Residential Builders Commission and Contractor's Licensing Board. Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
Residential specialty rules apply to jobs over $500. A commercial mechanical contractor license is needed when the job is over $10,000.
South Carolina license types for electrical work
South Carolina splits the work into 2 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Residential Electrical Contractor | Residential electrical work over $500, issued by the Residential Builders Commission |
| Mechanical Contractor, Electrical | Commercial mechanical work over $10,000, issued by the Contractor's Licensing Board |
Steps to get licensed in South Carolina
- Get one year of residential electrical experience under a licensed contractor.
- Apply to the Residential Builders Commission with the $135 fee, a credit report and proof of experience.
- Pass the Residential Electrical and Business Management and Law exams through PSI.
- Send your results and the $220 license fee, plus a $10,000 bond if you take jobs over $5,000.
- For commercial jobs over $10,000, pass the Electrical technical and commercial business exams and apply to the Contractor's Licensing Board ($350).
- Renew every two years.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. Residential: one year of experience under a licensed contractor within the last five years. Commercial: two years of experience within the last five years.
The license to apply for. Residential Electrical Contractor license (residential) or Mechanical Contractor, Electrical classification (commercial).
South Carolina electrical exams
Trade exam. Yes. Residential applicants pass the Residential Electrical exam through PSI (three tries in 12 months). Commercial applicants pass the Electrical technical exam through PSI.
Business and law exam. Yes. Residential: Business Management and Law exam. Commercial: S.C. Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors exam.
What it costs in South Carolina
The board lists 3 fees along the way. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Residential application processing | $135 |
| Residential license (after exams) | $220 |
| Commercial initial license | $350 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Bond. Residential: $10,000 surety bond if you take jobs over $5,000. Commercial: a financial statement or surety bond for your group limit.
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Residential: every two years before June 30 of odd years. Commercial mechanical licenses expire October 31 of odd years.
Reciprocity. Residential: the technical exam can be waived for licensees by exam from states with an exam waiver agreement; the business and law exam is still required.
Good to know in South Carolina
- South Carolina licenses the individual. A company that offers the work needs a certificate of authorization with a licensee in charge.
- A Mechanical Contractor with the Electrical classification, or a master certificate from MASC or Carolinas AGC, can skip the residential technical exam.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for an electrician near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the South Carolina LLR Residential Builders Commission and Contractor's Licensing Board and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how electrical contractors run on Koira.