The State Board of Education may review an educator’s character and fitness prior to the reinstatement of a suspended certificate or the reissuance of a revoked or surrendered certificate, with the primary emphasis on whether the educator has met any conditions imposed by the State Board at the time of the suspension, revocation, or surrender. The educator may be required to provide the State Board with documentation that may include, but is not limited to

• counseling & rehabilitation services reports and medical reports;
• employment information during the period of certificate revocation/suspension;
• community service records;
• letters of support from a current or prospective school district employer, if applicable;
• letters of support from community leaders;
• SLED and FBI background checks, if warranted.

Reinstatement Procedures following a Certificate Suspension

An individual seeking reinstatement of his or her South Carolina educator certificate following a suspension of that credential by the State Board of Education (SBE) must complete the following steps.

1. The educator must submit a written request to the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) Office of Educator Services to reinstate the certificate.
2. The educator must submit an updated Application for Certification and pay the Reinstatement Fee, currently $105.
3. The educator must complete the Electronic Fingerprinting Process for submission of updated FBI and SLED criminal history records. All associated costs are the responsibility of the educator.
4. An educator whose Initial Certificate has Expired during the period of the suspension must meet all current requirements in place at the time of the request for reinstatement to qualify for a new Initial certificate.
5. An educator whose Professional Certificate has Expired during the period of the suspension must present 120 renewal credits or request a one-year extension of the Professional certificate in order to complete renewal requirements.
6. The educator must meet all requirements set forth in the SBE Order of Disciplinary Action and provide necessary documentation. For example, the SBE Order may require that an educator complete an approved ethics course, anger management program, or counseling and/or drug testing as a condition for reinstatement following a certificate suspension. To fulfill such conditions for reinstatement, the educator must submit documentation verifying successful completion of the requirement. If a character and fitness evaluation is stated in the SBE Order, the educator must appear before the Educator Licensure Committee of the SBE to request reinstatement.

Initial Certification Application Procedures following a Revocation or Voluntary Surrender of an Educator Certificate

An educator seeking to become certified again after completing the terms of a revocation or voluntary surrender of his or her certificate must complete the following steps.

1. The educator must submit a written request notifying the Office of Educator Services of intent to seek Initial certification.
2. The educator must submit an updated Application for Certification and pay the Reinstatement Fee, currently $105.
3. The educator must complete the Electronic Fingerprinting Process for submission of updated FBI and SLED criminal history records. All associated costs are the responsibility of the educator.
4. The educator must request a minimum of three reference letters attesting to his or her character and fitness to serve as an educator. Each individual providing a reference must submit the letter directly to the SCDE Office of Educator Services. The letter must include the signature of the individual providing the reference and his or her contact information including email address, mailing address, and telephone number.
5. The educator must submit documentation of having completed any and all requirements stipulated in the SBE order related to the revocation or voluntary surrender of the certificate. These requirements might include successful completion of an ethics course, anger management course, counseling, and/or drug/alcohol testing.
6. The educator must appear before the Educator Licensure Committee of the SBE to request eligibility.
7. The educator must meet all current certification requirements in place at the time of application for an Initial certification, including current testing requirements.