South Carolina residential and commercial electrical licenses
South Carolina has two electrical licenses, and the work you do decides which one you need.
- Residential electrical work over $500 takes a Residential Electrician license from the Residential Builders Commission, with 1 year of experience in the past 5.
- Commercial electrical work over $10,000 takes a Mechanical Contractor license with the Electrical classification from the Contractor's Licensing Board, held through a qualifying party with 2 years of full-time experience in the past 5.
Both take a technical exam and a business-and-law exam through PSI. Residential applicants get approved first, then test on the 2017 NEC. Commercial applicants test first, on the 2020 NEC, then apply.
Study for the PSI technical exam at home with the JCR course that matches your license. Each $495 course gives you 20+ hours of video lessons, a 500+ question realistic mock exam with digital access and JCR's proprietary workbook. JCR also teaches live 2020 NEC workshops (two full days) in Mooresville (Charlotte area) and Asheville, NC.
At a glance
| Residential | Commercial | |
|---|---|---|
| Needed for | Residential electrical work over $500 | Commercial electrical work over $10,000 |
| Board | Residential Builders Commission | Contractor's Licensing Board |
| Experience | 1 year in the past 5 | 2 years full-time in the past 5 |
| Exams | Residential Electrical + Business and Law | Electrician + Business and Law |
| NEC edition | 2017 NEC | 2020 NEC with SC modifications |
| Fees | $135 application, $94 PSI (both exams), $220 license | $78 per PSI exam, $350 license |
| Renewal | Every 2 years, by June 30 of odd years | Every 2 years, by October 31 of odd years |
The short version: your South Carolina electrical license path
First, choose residential or commercial
Residential Electrician
- Covers residential buildings up to 3 stories and 16 units
- You need a $10,000 surety bond for jobs over $5,000
- The license is issued to you personally, not your company
Commercial Electrical Contractor
- Electrical is a Mechanical Contractor classification
- The business names a Primary Qualifying Party (PQP) who passes the exams
- The business's finances or bond set its job limit
Residential route: apply before PSI
Submit the Residential Electrician application with your W-2s or 1099s and a Residential Electrician Experience Affidavit from each employer or supervisor who can verify your experience.
Once the Commission approves you, your PSI eligibility lasts 1 year. You get 3 tries in that year, and you must pass both exams within it. Read the SC Residential Builders PSI bulletin before you book.
| Residential exam | Questions | Time | Passing score | Primary NEC edition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC Residential Electrical | 60 | 180 minutes | 44 correct | 2017 NEC |
| Residential Business Management and Law | 50 | 120 minutes | 34 correct | SC business-law reference |
| NASCLA Residential Electrical alternative | 100 | 270 minutes | 70 correct | 2020 or 2023 NEC, plus the full NASCLA reference list |
SC Residential Electrical question mix
- General electrical knowledge: 13
- Services, feeders, and branch circuits: 15
- Overcurrent protection: 5
- Grounding and bonding: 6
- Conductors and cables: 5
- Raceways and boxes: 4
- Lighting: 4
- Specialty applications: 4
- Safety: 4
Schedule an approved residential exam through PSI →
Commercial route: exams come before the license application
You don't need Board approval to book the commercial PSI exams. The PQP passes both exams first. Then the business applies with its financial statement or surety bond, the PQP application, experience affidavits, and the pass sheets. Follow the PQP/QP instructions and the SC Commercial Contractor PSI bulletin.
| Commercial exam | Questions | Time | Passing score | Current fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC Electrician | 80 | 300 minutes | 56 correct | $78 |
| Commercial Business Management and Law | 50 | 125 minutes | 35 correct | $78 |
| NASCLA Electrical alternative | 100 | 270 minutes | 75 correct | $116 |
SC Commercial Electrician question mix
- General electrical knowledge: 9
- Services, feeders, and branch circuits: 9
- Grounding and bonding: 9
- Conductors and cables: 9
- Raceways and boxes: 9
- Special occupancies and equipment: 2
- Electrical power: 7
- Motors: 7
- Low voltage: 2
- Lighting: 5
- Illuminated signs: 2
- Fire detection and alarm systems: 2
- Safety information: 8
Register for the commercial exams through PSI →
Prepare with the right books
For the commercial exam, use the standard 2020 NFPA 70 / National Electrical Code and download the South Carolina modifications separately. There is no combined SC edition. PSI does not supply books, so bring the exact titles and editions your bulletin lists.
- Commercial approved references and exam rules
- Residential approved references and exam rules
- Permanent NFPA 70/72 tabs. PSI allows only permanent tabs that tear the page if removed.
Choose the JCR prep that matches your exam
Each package below is a $495 full exam prep self-study system for the technical exam, matched to its code edition. Count on 6–8 weeks, about an hour a night. Online videos and the digital mock exam start the day you order, workbooks ship the same business day, and Shop Pay installments are an option.
Want to test yourself first? Try 25 free 2020 NEC practice questions.
SC commercial Electrician exam
JCR's South Carolina package is built on the 2020 NEC this exam uses, so you practice on the edition you'll test with. You get:
- A realistic 500+ question mock exam with online access
- 100 video lessons (21 hours)
- Permanent code tabs
- The 152-page proprietary JCR workbook
Code books are sold separately.
For the Business Management and Law exam, study the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, South Carolina Commercial Contractors (9th edition).
SC residential exam
The SC Residential Electrical exam uses the 2017 NEC, and JCR's Multi-State 2017 NEC package is written for it. Inside:
- 20+ hours of video lessons
- JCR's proprietary 152-page workbook
- Permanent code tabs
- A realistic mock exam of 500+ questions you can take in print or online
The 2017 NEC code book is sold separately.
For the Business Management and Law exam, study the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, South Carolina Residential Builders (8th or 9th edition).
Taking a NASCLA exam instead? It allows the 2020 or 2023 NEC but uses a much longer reference list. Call JCR at (704) 696-8555 before ordering.
Waivers, group limits, and renewal
Exam waivers and reciprocity
A license from another state doesn't transfer automatically, and you still have to pass the business-law exam. Residential and commercial use different waiver lists. Check the Residential Electrician waiver rules or the commercial Board's Technical Exam Waiver Agreement List before you pay for an exam.
Commercial license group limits
Your financial statement or surety bond sets how large a job you can bid. For Mechanical Contractors, limits run from $35,000 per job (Group 1) to unlimited (Group 5). See the full table on the Contractor's Licensing Board licensure page.
Renewal
Renew through the board that issued your license. See the Residential Builders Commission renewal page or the Contractor's Licensing Board renewal page for fees and bond or financial-statement rules.
Related: All state license guides · North Carolina · NASCLA exam guide
Your next move
Residential: download the application and start collecting employer records. Commercial: line up your PQP experience and financials, then book both exams. Considering another state? Compare license requirements by state.
Official sources
Last checked October 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with SC LLR and PSI before you apply.