Certified Nurse Aide · rules checked October 22, 2026
To stay enrolled you must work as a nurse aide for at least one documented day (8 consecutive hours) for pay in an approved facility, under RN or LPN supervision, during the previous 24 months. You file the renewal yourself through the Credentia Platform; acceptable proof includes a pay stub, payroll printout, or notarized employer attestation.
If you have never worked for pay since certifying, use your certification date.
Checked in part: most of South Carolina's rules were confirmed on primary sources on October 22, 2026, but a few details could only be confirmed in part. Where a figure is marked "not published," use the registry link on this page to confirm — we would rather show you the gap than fill it with a guess.
| Credential | Certified Nurse Aide |
|---|---|
| Registry | South Carolina Nurse Aide Registry (SC Department of Health and Human Services; registry system operated by Credentia) · (888) 549-0820 |
| Training required | 100 hours |
| Exam | Credentia — Not published — confirm with the registry |
| How renewal works | Stays active through paid work inside the window — no calendar expiry while you keep working. Renewal fee: Not published — confirm with the registry. |
| Keep-active work rule | To stay enrolled you must work as a nurse aide for at least one documented day (8 consecutive hours) for pay in an approved facility, under RN or LPN supervision, during the previous 24 months. You file the renewal yourself through the Credentia Platform; acceptable proof includes a pay stub, payroll printout, or notarized employer attestation. |
| Continuing education | No continuing-education requirement for renewal. |
| Who reports your work | You do — nobody files it for you |
If your certificate has lapsed but it has been less than two years since the expiration date, retesting through Credentia is the route described in vendor guidance; both exam parts must be passed to return to the registry.
If it has been two or more years since the expiration date, Credentia's South Carolina guidance states you must retrain in a 100-hour state-approved nurse aide training program (clinical included) before retesting.
Both exam parts are taken on the same day in South Carolina, and the registry's published hard line is the 2-year one above (candidate attempt limits run through the Credentia handbook, not the registry page). Credentia emails a renewal notice about 90 days before expiration, but the aide — not the employer — must file.
Application fee: Not published — confirm with the registry · typical processing: About 10 business days processing per secondary summaries; other secondary coverage says a few weeks up to two months — allow several weeks.. Must be active and in good standing on another state's registry with no findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation, and must have completed a 100-hour state-approved training program including clinical hours. Apply through the Credentia Platform reciprocity application for SCDHHS review. Work-history requirement: If the out-of-state certification lapsed more than two years ago, secondary guidance requires documenting at least 8 hours of paid CNA work (pay stub or W-2).. Credentia's reciprocity guidance publishes no fee, and SCDHHS does not publish one either — the fee is shown as not published rather than borrowed from secondary tables (which call it free). South Carolina's 100-hour training floor is the real trap: an aide trained in a 75-hour state may not meet the training condition even with an active out-of-state listing — confirm with SCDHHS ((888) 549-0820, scnar@scdhhs.gov) before relying on a transfer. Note the two different 888 numbers: (888) 549-0820 is the SCDHHS registry line; 888-204-6249 is Credentia customer service.
The table below is computed for an active aide in good standing, trained to the origin state's standard hours. Your own hours or status can change your row — run the transfer checker with your real facts.
| Certified in | Verdict for South Carolina | Fee | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Alaska | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Arizona | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Arkansas | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 91-hour program leaves a 9-hour gap. |
| California | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Colorado | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Connecticut | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Delaware | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 91-hour program leaves a 9-hour gap. |
| District of Columbia | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Florida | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Georgia | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 85-hour program leaves a 15-hour gap. |
| Hawaii | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Idaho | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Illinois | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Indiana | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Iowa | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Kansas | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 90-hour program leaves a 10-hour gap. |
| Kentucky | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Louisiana | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 80-hour program leaves a 20-hour gap. |
| Maine | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Maryland | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Massachusetts | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Michigan | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Minnesota | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Mississippi | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Missouri | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Montana | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Nebraska | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 76-hour program leaves a 24-hour gap. |
| Nevada | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| New Hampshire | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| New Jersey | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 90-hour program leaves a 10-hour gap. |
| New Mexico | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| New York | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| North Carolina | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| North Dakota | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Ohio | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Oklahoma | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Oregon | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Pennsylvania | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 80-hour program leaves a 20-hour gap. |
| Rhode Island | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| South Carolina | Same state — no transfer needed | ||
| South Dakota | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Tennessee | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Texas | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Utah | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Vermont | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
| Virginia | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Washington | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| West Virginia | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Wisconsin | Accepted — with conditions | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Wyoming | Training-hour gap | Not published — confirm with the registry | South Carolina holds incoming aides to its 100-hour training standard. A 75-hour program leaves a 25-hour gap. |
The kit carries South Carolina's full recovery path — the forms, the order to file them, the phone scripts — plus transfer checklists for every destination. See the kit →
