Verified October 8, 2026 against the statutes and regulations cited below. Research, not legal advice. All states
What operators miss in South Carolina
- South Carolina has no private-payer telehealth coverage or payment parity statute.
- At each telemedicine encounter, the prescribing physician must personally take the history needed for an accurate diagnosis.
Does South Carolina have a telehealth registration for out-of-state clinicians?
Lets licensed out-of-state behavioral health clinicians treat South Carolina clients by telehealth for a $10 fee. It does not cover physicians, NPs or PAs, who need a South Carolina license.
- Name: Behavioral telehealth registration
- Who can use it: Out-of-state professional counselors, addiction counselors, MFTs, psycho-educational specialists and independent social workers (clinical practice)
Citation: S.C. Code §§ 40-75-800, 40-63-35; § 40-47-37 (physicians)
When can an out-of-state clinician treat South Carolina patients without a South Carolina license?
No South Carolina license is needed for an informal consult or second opinion requested by a South Carolina physician who keeps responsibility, or for telehealth between in-person visits under an existing out-of-state specialty treatment plan. Episodic care and new conditions are excluded.
- Exception for follow-up care with an existing patient
- Exception for consultation with a licensed physician
Citation: S.C. Code § 40-47-37
Can a patient relationship start by telehealth in South Carolina?
A physician may establish a relationship solely by telemedicine. The evaluation need not be in person if the physician can diagnose and treat to the standard of care, but telemedicine may not be used to establish a relationship for prescribing when an in-person exam is necessary.
Citation: S.C. Code §§ 40-47-37, 40-47-113(B)
Does South Carolina require telehealth consent?
No physician telemedicine consent requirement was found. Teledentistry requires informed written consent, and veterinary telehealth requires recorded client consent.
Citation: S.C. Code §§ 40-15-540, 40-69-530 (profession-specific)
What limits does South Carolina put on prescribing by telehealth?
Prescribing to someone never personally examined based solely on answers to a set of questions is unprofessional. Where the relationship is telemedicine-only, Schedule II and III narcotics are barred except in hospitals, buprenorphine MAT, hospice or palliative care, and board-authorized programs.
- Questionnaire-only prescribing is prohibited
- Telemedicine-only relationships: no Schedule II or III narcotics except in a hospital, buprenorphine MAT, hospice or palliative care, or board-authorized programs; abortion-inducing drugs prohibited; PDMP participation required.
Citation: S.C. Code §§ 40-47-37(C)(6), 40-47-113(C)
Does South Carolina require its own controlled-substance registration?
Physicians practicing by telemedicine must maintain a South Carolina controlled substances registration with the Bureau of Drug Control if they prescribe controlled substances.
- Required, issued by South Carolina Bureau of Drug Control
Do private payers in South Carolina have to cover telehealth?
- No private-payer telehealth coverage law
- No payment parity law
How does South Carolina treat the corporate practice of medicine?
Adding South Carolina to your telehealth practice?
A State Expansion Pack applies South Carolina's rules to your service line and lists what changes in your workflow before the first visit. We also file telehealth registrations for physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.