South Carolina License Law
South Carolina real estate practice is governed by Title 40, Chapter 57 of the South Carolina Code, administered by the Real Estate Commission within LLR. This chapter covers the regulator, the license ladder, and trust-account duties.
The Real Estate Commission and Title 40, Chapter 57
The South Carolina Real Estate Commission, within the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), licenses and disciplines salespersons, brokers, brokers-in-charge, and property managers under Title 40, Chapter 57. Anyone who, for compensation, sells, leases, or negotiates real estate for others must be licensed unless exempt. The Commission enforces standards of conduct.
The License Ladder
South Carolina's ladder runs salesperson to broker to broker-in-charge, with a parallel property manager track. The broker-in-charge supervises the office, its associated licensees, and the trust account. A broker license is a prerequisite step, and the broker exam introduces the supervisory and trust duties a broker-in-charge later carries.
Trust Accounts
Client money such as earnest money must be held in a designated trust account, separate from the broker's own funds. Commingling or converting trust money violates the license law and is a frequent basis for discipline. The broker-in-charge is responsible for the trust account and its records.