How to Become a Pharmacy Technician in South Carolina

Checked against South Carolina Board of Pharmacy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Not required
Training: Not required
Term: 1 years
State fee: $56 registration application (non-refundable); $21 annual renewal; $56 reinstatement/reactivation; $10 duplicate registration or wallet card (Board fee schedule revised 10/10/2023).
Regulated by: South Carolina Board of Pharmacy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation)

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Who can apply

Anyone working as a pharmacy technician needs an active SC Pharmacy Technician registration or State-Certified Pharmacy Technician registration.
Submit a notarized Verification of Lawful Presence, a copy of a valid driver's license, state ID, passport or military ID, and a copy of your Social Security card.
No exam, training program or diploma is required for basic registration.
A pharmacist whose license was denied, revoked, suspended or restricted for discipline cannot register as a technician.

Step by step

Apply online at apply.llr.sc.gov (first-time applicants) or mail the paper application with a $56 check or money order payable to LLR-Board of Pharmacy.
Include the notarized lawful presence affidavit, ID copy and Social Security card copy.
Wait for your registration; you may not work as a technician until it is issued.
Notify the Board of your employment within 10 days (Notification of Employment form).
Create an NABP e-Profile ID for CPE Monitor so the Board can audit your CE.
Renew every year by June 30 ($21) with 10 hours of ACPE or CME Category 1 CE (not required for your first renewal).

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Basic registration has no training requirement. The optional State-Certified Pharmacy Technician status requires a Board-approved formal academic training program (ASHP-accredited or PTCB-recognized) leading to a certificate, diploma or higher degree, plus 1,000 hours of supervised work as a registered technician; up to 400 hours of program clinical experience can count.

Exam: The Board states an exam is not required to become a registered pharmacy technician. State-Certified status requires passing the PTCB exam or NHA's ExCPT and keeping that national certification current.

No national exam required here. If you plan to get PTCB certified anyway, practice for the PTCE free →

What it costs in South Carolina

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

Pharmacy technician registration application (non-refundable)$56
Notary for the lawful presence affidavit$
PTCE exam fee, only for optional State-Certified status (NHA prices the ExCPT)$129
Formal academic training program, only for optional State-Certified status$

Estimated total in South Carolina$56Plus 1 item with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Notary fee for the Verification of Lawful Presence affidavit (set by the notary)
Returned check fee of up to $30 if your payment bounces
For optional State-Certified status: PTCE exam fee (PTCB lists $129 as of Oct 2026) or ExCPT fee, plus formal training program tuition

Pay in South Carolina

Before you compare job offers, see what a paycheck takes home in South Carolina after taxes.

Starting out on an entry-level wage? Check the SNAP income limits in South Carolina by household size.

What other sites get wrong about South Carolina

Myth: South Carolina charges a $40 application fee and a $15 annual renewal for pharmacy technicians.

Fact: The Board's fee schedule lists $56 for the technician registration application and $21 for annual renewal. source

Once you're registered

Renewal: Registrations run July 1 through June 30 and must be renewed every year ($21). Each renewal requires 10 hours of ACPE-accredited or CME Category 1 CE, certified on the renewal; the first renewal after initial registration is exempt, as are technicians enrolled in a technician program and the first renewal after completing it. Extra hours can carry forward one year. If you do not renew before July 1 you must stop working; once the June 30 window closes you renew on paper: a registration expired less than two years uses the Lapsed Pharmacy Technician Registration application, and one lapsed more than two years uses the Reinstatement application with 20 hours of CE.

Good to know in South Carolina

State-Certified Pharmacy Technician: Registered technicians can upgrade by showing a high school diploma or equivalent, 1,000 hours of supervised work, a Board-approved formal training program and current PTCB or ExCPT certification. Certified technicians may take verbal phone orders and do one-time prescription transfers when a pharmacist authorizes it.

Display your registration: Display your original registration at your primary workplace and carry your wallet card elsewhere. Citations: $25 for failing to display or carry it, $50 for working with a lapsed registration.

New application system: The Board moved to a new online application system on June 26, 2026 (apply.llr.sc.gov).

Applications expire: For the State-Certified application, everything must be received within one year of receipt or you must start over and pay again.

Report changes in 10 days: Notify the Board in writing within 10 days of a new mailing address or a move to a different pharmacy (S.C. Code 40-43-91).

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with South Carolina Board of Pharmacy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) before you apply.