Note: Each municipality is responsible for arranging 3-hours of continuing education training each year for their staff, planning, zoning, and architectural review officials. The resources provided on this page are not guaranteed sources of continuing education. All preapproved sponsors referenced below have an associated fee or charge for their training. If you intend to use the sponsors provided on this page, you are responsible for contacting your municipality to pay the associated fee or by paying those fees personally.
For Municipal Staff - Policy Guidelines
Only continuing education programs approved by the South Carolina Planning Education Advisory Committee (SCPEAC) may be used to fulfill the continuing education requirement for South Carolina planning officials. The term "program" includes training in any format that complies with the provisions in Section 6-29-1340 of the South Carolina Code of Laws as interpreted by the SCPEAC.
A municipality has three options for getting continuing education program approvals annually:
- Through an approved CE Sponsor
- Through an approved Continuing Education Instructor
*Note: This is a new designation an requires an approved certificate from the SCPEAC. Each instructor
must apply; effective 9/24/2024. See requirements to become an instructor.
- Through an review and approval process of each proposed program submitted to the Advisory Committee for review.
The South Carolina Planning Education Advisory Committee (SCPEAC) maintains a list of approved sponsors of programs that satisfy the annual continuing education requirement.
The following topics when offered by an approved sponsor are preapproved: land use planning, zoning, floodplains, transportation, community facilities, ethics, public utilities, wireless telecommunication facilities, parliamentary procedure, public hearing procedure, administrative law, economic development, housing, public buildings, building construction, land subdivision, and powers and duties of the planning commission, board of zoning appeals or board of architectural review. SC Code of Laws Section 6-29-1340
Books or self-directed (home study) courses are not an approved method for continuing education. Continuing education must be conducted by a monitor in a group setting.
CE Resources - Group Monitored Sessions
The training videos provided are only permissible in a monitored group-setting arranged by a member of the municipality's staff. To access the training resources, contact Urica Floyd at ufloyd@masc.sc. View a list of the training resources available.
CE Resources for Appointed Officials - Independent Study
- All online training products produced by the American Planning Association satisfy South Carolina planning officials and commissioners' continuing education requirements. APA offers a series of online courses specifically tailored to the needs of planning officials and commissioners and a catalog of nearly 400 other online classes in various learning formats and lengths. To view the videos, users must create an account on the APA website.
- The SC Association of Counties developed several videos on planning and zoning. Each course provides three hours of continuing education credit for planning and zoning officials/employees.
- The following Municipal Elected Officials Institute training developed by the Municipal Association may be viewed in a monitored group setting or individually to satisfy continuing education requirements. Register
- Forms of Municipal Government: 1.5 hours - $35
- Municipal Economic Development: 1.5 hours - $35
- Freedom of Information Act in SC: 1.5 hours - $35