Well Driller List

State rules

South Carolina

South Carolina licenses well drillers through the Environmental Certification Board at the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. The board's licensure page says well drilling licenses are issued in three categories, environmental, coastal, and rock, and in four classes, A, B, C, and D. A class A licensee may practice in all three categories. No person may drill wells for which that person does not hold the proper category and class. Applicants must be at least 18 and must furnish a surety bond of at least $25,000 under the statute the page cites. After a complete application, the person is made eligible for the level D exam and has one year to pass it. The board's published phone is (803) 896-4430, and the address is 110 Centerview Drive, Columbia, SC 29210.

Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.

Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
Licensing or permitting agency
South Carolina Environmental Certification Board, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
Who must hold a credential
Licensed well driller in environmental, coastal, or rock categories, classes A through D
Official permit or license page
Official page →

The exam page says a grade of 70 is required, and the exam fee is paid to the testing vendor. The fees page lists a $50 application fee and a $50 renewal fee for well drillers. The renewal page said the 2026-2027 deadline without a late penalty was June 30, 2026, with a $200 late fee after that. A license not renewed within 365 days is treated as lapsed. Well drillers must show 12 hours of continuing education, or pass the exam for the grade, between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2027. Those amounts are printed on the board's pages and are not stored in the fee field.

The FAQ page says only a licensed well driller may open or close a water well, unless an exception applies. The exceptions named there include salaried government employees doing their agency work, people constructing or closing wells on their own property, exploration borings, and certain contractor boreholes for measuring water levels, blasting, or short-term construction dewatering. The same FAQ says the $25,000 bond is required, that the original bond with a raised seal must be filed, and that a company bond can cover employees when the board's acknowledgement form is used. A class D license is the entry exam. Higher classes are a later step.

A customer should ask for the category, environmental, coastal, or rock, and the class. A license in the wrong category does not authorize the well. Closing a well is included in the work the FAQ says requires a license, aside from the stated exceptions. Use the board's records rather than a copied roster. The Columbia address and phone are printed on the fees page. The licensure page is the application path, and the FAQ page is the plain-language statement of who must be licensed.

Official resources in South Carolina

Environmental Certification Board well driller licensure

Categories, classes, the age minimum, and the $25,000 bond.

Board exam information

Level D exam eligibility and the 70 percent passing grade.

Board fees

Application and renewal fees and the Columbia office phone.

Board FAQ

Who may open or close a well and how the bond is filed.

Key facts for South Carolina

What to do next

  1. Ask for the category and class, not only the company name.
  2. Ask to see that the bond is on file with the board.
  3. Confirm the license was renewed for the current cycle.
  4. Ask who is licensed to close an old well if abandonment is part of the job.

Looking for your city or county in South Carolina?

We haven't found official program-level pages for South Carolina we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:

  1. General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across South Carolina, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
  2. Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
    South Carolina
    Website →
    Your city or county office: Local governments →
    Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the South Carolina page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
  3. Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.

Helpful guides

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