South Carolina · Hunter safety · 2026 Edition
South Carolina Hunter Safety Course 2026: Cost & Online Options
All residents and nonresidents born after June 30, 1979 must complete a Hunter Education course before a South Carolina hunting license can be issued. Hunters age 10+ can certify entirely online, from $29.95.
The $29.95 online course is the cheapest certified route and, unusually for this project, SCDNR's own page states no age floor for it — but hunter-ed.com's own South Carolina course page separately states a minimum age of 10 and restricts the online course to South Carolina residents, a restriction SCDNR's page doesn't repeat. Both figures are reported here since the two sources disagree and neither is clearly wrong. SCDNR's in-person class stays free and is explicitly marked as the state's preferred method, unlike the several states where the free path is the harder one to find. Since hunter-ed.com's $49.95 Interactive course is the same underlying vendor as the $29.95 base course rather than a genuinely separate provider, the free in-person class remains the only real cheaper alternative to the standard online price.
01 — Who needs it
All residents and nonresidents born after June 30, 1979 must complete a Hunter Education course before a South Carolina hunting license can be issued.
A hunter education certification from any other U.S. state or Canadian province satisfies South Carolina's requirement — no separate SC-specific test is needed.
02 — Course options
| Course | Format | Who | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instructor-Led Class | In person | Recommended 12+ with some hunting/firearms background (6th-grade reading level material); no stated minimum age | Free | 8 hours, either a single day or split across two evenings — SCDNR calls this the preferred method. Ends in a required test. |
| Online Self-Study Course | Online | Hunters age 10+ | $29.95 | Self-paced — Certifies fully online, no field day required — hunter-ed.com is the only internet course SCDNR approves for South Carolina. Age floor per the provider's own page; SCDNR's page states no minimum. A Spanish-language version runs the same $29.95. |
| Online Interactive (ilearntohunt) Course | Online | Same as the standard online course | $49.95 | Self-paced — A pricier, more interactive version of the same hunter-ed.com online certification — same certificate either way. |
03 — Approved online courses, side by side
| Provider | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| hunter-ed.com | $29.95 |
hunter-ed.com is SCDNR's only approved online provider for South Carolina — the $49.95 Interactive/ilearntohunt option is the same vendor's pricier course, not a competing provider.
04 — Your certificate, and other states
The temporary certificate printed right after passing the online course is valid for 30 days; the permanent card arrives by mail in 2-3 weeks.
SCDNR accepts hunter education certifications issued by other U.S. states and Canadian provinces without any additional South Carolina test.
South Carolina does not require separate bowhunter education for archery hunting — the standard Hunter Education requirement covers all weapon types. SCDNR and Bowhunters of South Carolina jointly run optional bowhunter education classes a few times a year for hunters who want the extra training.
05 — Where to register
Courses are booked through South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Find and register for a South Carolina course →
Got your certificate? Next step: South Carolina hunting license costs and permits →
Everything else we track for the state: South Carolina hunting seasons →
Looking for somewhere to hunt? South Carolina public hunting land — WMAs by county & access rules →
FAQ
Can I take the South Carolina hunter safety course online?
Yes. Hunters age 10+ can certify entirely online, from $29.95. All residents and nonresidents born after June 30, 1979 must complete a Hunter Education course before a South Carolina hunting license can be issued.
Is there a free hunter safety course in South Carolina?
Every SCDNR-approved online provider charges a fee; the cheapest is hunter-ed.com at $29.95. In-person courses run by the agency itself are often free — see the formats above.
How much does the South Carolina hunter safety course cost?
Approved online providers run from $29.95 (hunter-ed.com). They all produce the same certificate, so the cheapest one certifies you just as well. Prices are set by the providers and change without notice — the table above was read on Aug 13, 2026.
How long does the South Carolina hunter safety course take?
The online course runs self-paced. That is course content, not a deadline — how many sittings you spread it over is up to you.
Verified · South Carolina Department of Natural Resources · Last verified 2026-08-13
Publisher's note. Requirements and course fees read from SCDNR, retrieved 2026-08-13. Review due 2027-08-01. Course providers set their own prices and change them without notice — confirm before you pay.