S.C. Code Ann. § 38-43-105 – Education requirements for local and general agents; exceptions

(a) No applicant may be licensed as a local or general agent unless, within two years immediately preceding the date of his licensing, he has:
1. (1) Successfully completed classroom courses, or the equivalent thereof, in insurance approved by the director or his designee consisting of no less than forty classroom hours, or the equivalent thereof; or
2. (2) Had at least one year of insurance underwriting or marketing experience as an employee of an agent, insurer, or their managers or general agents in all lines of insurance for which he is making application to be licensed.
(b) Certification of qualification of the applicant must be made by an official of the school, college, insurance company, association, or other body conducting the course of study, or by the former employer for qualification under item (2) of subsection (a) of this section. The certification must be in a format approved by the director or his designee and submitted with the sponsoring company's appointment of the agent and the agent's application for an agent's license, except where a temporary license is requested pursuant to Section 38-43-100, in which event the temporary license may be issued without such certification, if the sponsoring company furnishes certification prior to the applicant's being granted permission to take the examination. The certification of qualification of the applicant must be made within thirty days from the date of receipt of the request to provide the certification.
(c) Any course or program of instruction or seminar developed or sponsored, or developed and sponsored, by any authorized insurer, recognized agents, association, or insurance trade association or any independent program of instruction shall, subject to the approval of the director or his designee, qualify for the equivalency of the number of classroom hours assigned thereto by the director or his designee.
(d) Any correspondence course approved by the director or his designee shall qualify for the equivalency of the number of classroom hours assigned thereto by the director or his designee.
(e) This section applies to residents applying for a license to engage in the sale of insurance except those persons who have previously been licensed for a period of five years or more and those persons applying for a license limited to the following types of insurance only or a combination thereof:
1. (1) credit life or credit accident and health;
2. (2) credit property;
3. (3) crop hail;
4. (4) automobile physical damage;
5. (5) mortgage guaranty or mortgage redemption, or both;
6. (6) title;
7. (7) travel accident and baggage
8. (8) Federal Crop Insurance Program.