Does state provide a license: Yes
License: Professional Geologist
Exam Entity: ASBOG
Licensing Board: South Carolina Board of Registration for Geologists
Licensing Board Website: https://www.llr.sc.gov/geo/
Degree required:
Majors accepted:
Courses required:
Courses accepted:
Geology credits required: 30
Credit information: The applicant must be a graduate of a geologic curriculum of a minimum of thirty (30) semester hours or forty-five (45) quarter hours of geology approved by the Board, including an earned bachelor’s degree or advanced degree from an accredited college or university.
Education Notes: See the state regulations for a complete explanation of the education requirements for licensure.
Years of experience required: 5
Experience credits needed: 1
Experience information: Five years of experience is needed if the applicant graudated from a geologic curriculum approved by the board. Eight (8) years of experience are required if the geologic curriculum has not been approved by the board. In counting years of experience the board may give credit, not in excess of one year, for each graduate degree in geology.
Continuing education requirements: Yes
Ethics required for continuing education: TBD
Continuing education years: 16
Continuing education details: Thirty-two (32) hours per biennium. The Board has defined continuing education broadly enough that a wide range of activities will be acceptable, and that costs should be minimized. An important element of CE activity should be interaction with one’s peers as well as academic and practical self-improvement.
Geologist in Training license available: Yes
Can take Fundamentals of Geology test before graduation: Yes
Fundamentals of Geology test details: When examinations are required on fundamental geological subjects ordinarily given in college curricula, the applicant may take that part of the examination before completing the requisite years of scholastic studies in geology.
Legal Code Reference for GIT, FG: SECTION 40-77-240
Most registration and licensure systems include structural approaches to review both the need and operational effectiveness of the process.
Some states provide formal sunset evaluation processes for their licensure programs. Many also include a periodic audit process of the licensure program/agency, which can range from cursory financial reviews to comprehensive evaluation of program effectiveness.
The audit process is often leveraged when political pressure is applied to eliminate geologist licensure, so awareness of the history and codes for audits and sunset evaluations is critical to montioring the health of the licensure within the state.
Current modes for sunsetting evaluation: Audit
License subject to sunset review: No
License subject to audit review: Yes
Sunset regulation name: None identified
Sunset statute: Sunset Act §1-20-40 (REPEALED). See sunset and audit history.
Sunset statute reference: See audit and sunset history
Sunset committee: See audit and sunset history
Composition of sunset committee: See audit and sunset history
Sunset committee website: See audit and sunset history
Sunset duration: See audit and sunset history
Sunset notes: Sunset review reports are listed on the Legislative Audit Council website but copies of the reports are not available for download.
Auditor name: South Carolina Office of the State Auditor
Auditor website: https://osa.sc.gov/
Audit legislation committee: Legislative Audit Council
Audit legislation committee website: https://lac.sc.gov/
Audit notes: No audits completed by the Legislative Audit Council of the board 1977-2019 per information on their website. The South Carolina Board of Registration for Geologists is not listed as an agency for audit under the Office of the State Auditor.
Audit reference: Legislative Audit Council authority
Audit reference website: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t02c015.php
| Year | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Sunset law created | The Review of State Agencies and Boards law (Sunset Act) was created by 1978 Act 608, effective 7/23/1978 under §1-20-40. |
| 1986 | Practice regulation | The South Carolina Board of Registration for Geolgists was created. |
| 1991 | Sunset review | A Sunset review of the Board of Registration for Geologists was conducted by the Legislative Audit Council (LAC). The report was not available online. |
| 1994 | Sunset review | A Sunset review of the Board of Registration for Geologists was conducted by the Legislative Audit Council (LAC). The report was not available online. |
| 1998 | Sunset law repealed | The sunset law was repealed by Act 419. |
| 1998 | The Board of Registration for Geologists updated their regulations. | |
| 2011 | Audit | The Legislative Audit Council (LAC) performed an audit, titled, “A Review of the Professional and Occupational Licensing Division,” report number LAC/10-3. The LAC reported that that some boards had a net deficit, and recommended that each board should review its license renewal and fee structure. |