Nursing homes may not be established, operated, or maintained in South Carolina without first obtaining a state license from DHEC in a manner provided by Article 3, Chapter 7, Title 44 of the South Carolina Code of Laws and DHEC regulations. Licensed nursing homes may volunteer to participate in the federal Medicare and Medicare programs, and DHEC is charged with enforcing the federal standards on behalf of the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS). DHEC ensures nursing homes in South Carolina comply with state licensing and federal health and safety standards.

Residential Treatment Facilities for Children and Adolescents are operated for the assessment,  diagnosis,  treatment,  and  care  of  two  (2)  or  more  children  and/or  adolescents  in  need  of  mental  health treatment  which  provides:

A renal dialysis facility is an outpatient facility offering staff-assisted dialysis or training and support services for self-dialysis to end-stage renal disease patients. A facility may be composed of one or more fixed buildings, mobile units, or a combination.

No person, private or public organization, political subdivision or governmental agency may establish, conduct or maintain a hospice or hospice facility without first obtaining a license from DHEC. Applicants must submit a completed licensure application for a hospice program or hospice facility.

Day Care Facilities for Adults offer in a group setting a program of individual and group activities and therapies for adults 18 years of age or older. The program provides community-based day care services for adults in need of a supportive setting, thereby preventing unnecessary institutionalization. The program provides a minimum of four (4) and a maximum of fourteen (14) hours of operation a day.

A Community Residential Care Facility (CRCF) offers room and board and, unlike a boarding house, provides/coordinates a degree of personal care for a period of time in excess of 24 consecutive hours for two or more persons, 18 years old or older, not related to the licensee within the third degree of consanguinity.

A CRCF is designed to accommodate residents’ changing needs and preferences, maximize residents’ dignity, autonomy, privacy, independence, and safety, and encourage family and community involvement.

• Forms
• Facility-Specific Info
• File a Health Facility Complaint
• File a CNA Abu

An Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF-IID) is a facility that serves four (4) or more persons with intellectual disability or persons with related conditions and provides health or rehabilitative services on a regular basis to individuals whose mental and physical conditions require services including room, board, and active treatment for their intellectual disability or related conditions.

Hospitals may not be established, operated, or maintained in South Carolina without first obtaining a license from DHEC in the manner provided by Article 3, Chapter 7, Title 44 of the South Carolina Code of Laws and DHEC regulations. The most commonly used DHEC forms pertaining to hospital licensure requirements are provided on this page.