Membership FAQs

Admission to the South Carolina Bar is first sought through the South Carolina Board of Law Examiners or, for limited licenses, the Clerk of the Supreme Court of SC. An application and information about admission may be obtained by calling the board at (803) 734-1080 or writing to the board at P.O. Box 11330, Columbia, SC 29211.

The bar admission office is located at 1231 Gervais St., Columbia, SC 29201. Office hours are Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. excluding state holidays.

Additional information may be found at www.sccourts.org.

Bar members sworn in between January and June will be billed half year dues in August and later for the next calendar year. Members sworn in between July and December will be billed for the following full year.

You must petition the S.C. Supreme Court for resignation. Petitions can be sent to Patricia Howard, Clerk of the S.C. Supreme Court, P.O. Box 11330, Columbia, SC 29211.

To obtain a copy of your Bar application, contact the Office of Bar Admissions at (803) 734-1080.

Yes, login to your member dashboard to pay fees. 

License fees are due no later than January 1 of each year. Invoices are mailed to members in November.

Bar members who do not pay the annual license fee will be administratively suspended by the Supreme Court. The Court also publishes a list of members who do not pay in the Advance Sheets.

License fees are collected in accordance with Rule 410(c), SCACR. There is not an exemption for hardship.

To change your name, you must log on to the Attorney Information System at www.sccourts.org/ais.

You may update your information by logging on to the Attorney Information System at www.sccourts.org/ais.

You may update your information by logging on to the Attorney Information System at www.sccourts.org/ais.

You can call the AIS Help Desk at 1-855-235-2500.

You can check the status of an attorney by searching the SC Bar Member Directory or by calling the Membership Services Division at (803) 799-6653, ext. 111.

If you have an issue with your attorney that you believe can be resolved, you should participate in the Client Assistance Program.

If you believe that there has been an ethical violation, you should contact the Commission on Lawyer Conduct (which is a division under the S.C. Supreme Court) at 1220 Senate Street, Suite 305, Columbia, SC 29201.

You can check your CLE credit hours with the Commission on CLE and Specialization at http://www.commcle.org

IOLTA stands for Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts. IOLTA revenues are generated when clients transfer money to an attorney to hold. When the amount is large or if the funds are to be held for a long period of time, lawyers invest those funds for the benefit of the client. But, when the funds are small or expected to be held for a short time, they cannot practically be invested to benefit the owner of the funds. The IOLTA program require attorneys to have these accounts that generate interest income. Eligible financial institutions send the interest directly to the S.C. Bar Foundation, which distributes the funds as grants to a variety of initiatives that support the justice system.

Certificates of Good Standing are issued by the S.C. Supreme Court. Contact Bar Admissions at (803) 734-1080.

To receive a replacement Bar ID card, e-mail Juliana Sobey or call (803) 799-6653, ext. 176. Replacement cards are $5.

If you prefer a photo ID card you may come by the Bar office any time during business hours. If you are unable to come to the Bar office, you can e-mail your photo to Juliana Sobey. A member’s first photo ID card is free. Replacement photo cards are $10.

No, there are no practicing attorneys at the S.C. Bar offices. If you need legal advice, you should consult an attorney. 

If you need assistance finding an attorney, the Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service can direct you to a qualified, prescreened attorney in one of more than 100 areas of law. You can access the service online by calling 803-799-7100. If you cannot afford an attorney, you can call the Legal Aid Intake Service at 1-888-346-5592.

Yes, you may rent the Bar’s mailing list for a one time use. Questions about the process should be directed to Donna Oelhafen at doelhafen@scbar.org or (803) 799-6653, ext. 171.

The Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service can direct you to a qualified, prescreened attorney in one of more than 100 areas of law. You can access the service online or by telephone at (803) 799-7100.

If you are having a problem logging on to Fastcase, please email fastcase@scbar.org or call (803) 799-6653, ext. 118.

To request a status change, you must log on to the Attorney Information System at www.sccourts.org/ais to begin the process.

Any time throughout the year that you want to change your status to active and have intentionally paid the Inactive fee for that year, you must pay the difference. If you have been Inactive for less than 12 months, you will need to request a status change in the Court’s Attorney Information System (AIS) and pay the fee difference.

Inactive members are required to pay annual license fees but are not required to complete annual CLE hours.

To request a status change, you must log on to the Attorney Information System at www.sccourts.org/ais to begin the process.

A Retired member who has been on retired status for less than two years can return to regular Active status by paying the active member fee and making a status change request in the Court’s Attorney Information System (AIS).  After being in this status for more than two years, you may not become a regular member without completing fourteen hours of continuing legal education, including two hours on legal ethics and professional responsibility.

If you have been Inactive for longer than 12 months, you must file 14 hours of CLE and pay the difference to become active again. Please contact the Commission on CLE and Specialization regarding your hours at commcle@bellsouth.net or (803) 799-5578.