South Carolina licenses occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants through the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy in the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR). Everything below comes from the board's own pages and rules, checked October 18, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the linked pages before you pay.
Check with your board. OT Ticket is a study aid, not clinical or legal guidance. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), AOTA, ACOTE, the OT Compact Commission or any state board; NBCOT, OTR and COTA are their marks, used here only to name the exam.
South Carolina at a glance
Occupational therapist (OT)
OT assistant (OTA)
Exam
NBCOT OTR exam (180 questions, 4 hours), $540 to NBCOT
NBCOT COTA exam (190 questions, 4 hours), $540 to NBCOT
Board fees
$135 initial application
$115
Law exam
Jurisprudence exam on the SC OT Practice Act and regulations
Same
Temporary license
$10 (ask the board who qualifies)
$10
Background check
Not listed on the board's licensure pages; check with the board
Same
OT Compact
Member, not accepting applications yet. South Carolina has enacted the OT Compact but has not opened privilege applications, so for now you need a full South Carolina license. (OT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
South Carolina, step by step
South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation)
Apply by examination through LLR's online application portal with the fee: $135 for an OT, $115 for an OTA.
Two exams: pass the NBCOT exam and the board's Jurisprudence Exam on the South Carolina Occupational Therapy Practice Act and Regulations.
Temporary license: the fee list includes a $10 temporary license; ask the board about eligibility before you plan to work under one.
Keep it: licenses renew every two years, with a late period from March 16 to April 15 of the renewal year. South Carolina has enacted the OT Compact but is not accepting privilege applications yet.
Every state licenses occupational therapists and OT assistants on NBCOT certification: an ACOTE-accredited degree with its Level II fieldwork, then NBCOT's exam (the OTR exam for OTs, 180 questions in 4 hours; the COTA exam for OT assistants, 190 questions in 4 hours; 450 on a 300-600 scale passes; $540 to apply online). NBCOT certification is not a license: you apply to your state board separately, and NBCOT sends the board your score (the Score Transfer is free if you add it when you apply for the exam, $35 later). The full walk-through: How to get your OT license.