Charleston Senior AdvisorWhich laws govern assisted living and nursing homes in Charleston, SC?
State law does: Regulation 60-84 for community residential care facilities (South Carolina's assisted living license), the state nursing home regulation and federal CMS rules for certified nursing homes, all enforced by the S.C. Department of Public Health's Healthcare Quality office under S.C. Code Section 44-7-260.
Last verified: November 2026The cities of Charleston, North Charleston, Goose Creek and Summerville and the town of Mount Pleasant regulate buildings through zoning and codes, but none licenses care. The license to operate is DPH's.
What is different about the rules on the coast?
Hurricane planning: every CRCF must keep a written evacuation plan with a signed sheltering agreement, and facilities in Charleston County, unlike those in Berkeley and Dorchester, must name at least one sheltering facility outside the six coastal counties (Regulation 60-84, Section 1401).
On current DPH data, 42 of the area's 56 senior-serving CRCFs are in Charleston County, and 21 of the 56 carry an Alzheimer's special care unit flag. The hurricane evacuation guide explains what the plans must contain.
Where do Lowcountry families report a problem?
Licensing complaints go to DPH Healthcare Quality (1-800-922-6735 or its online portal); concerns about a resident of a facility go to the long-term care ombudsman at the Trident Area Agency on Aging (843-554-2275); and abuse or self-neglect of an adult living at home goes to DSS Adult Protective Services at 1-888-227-3487.
If anyone is in danger, call 911 before anything else.
South Carolina Rules: every guide
How assisted living is licensed in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester
Assisted living around Charleston is licensed by the S.C. Department of Public Health as a community residential care facility (CRCF) under Regulation 60-84. Who regulates, what the license means, fees and administrator rules.
Read →How memory care is regulated in South Carolina
Memory care around Charleston means an Alzheimer's special care unit or program inside a licensed CRCF or nursing home. The 60-84 definition, the disclosure act, staffing and training rules, and when a resident must move.
Read →Who assisted living can admit and keep in South Carolina
Admission and retention limits for South Carolina assisted living under Regulation 60-84: conditions a CRCF cannot admit, the 14-day total-dependency rule, short-term nursing, hospice and the 30-day transfer requirement.
Read →Staffing and medication rules in South Carolina assisted living
South Carolina CRCF staffing ratios (1:8 peak, 1:30 off-peak), what peak hours mean, who may give medications and insulin, staff training and background checks under Regulation 60-84.
Read →Checking a Lowcountry facility's license, inspections and enforcement record
How to look up a South Carolina CRCF or nursing home license on DPH's Find a Facility map, find enforcement orders, request inspection reports, read CMS Care Compare and check an administrator's license.
Read →Residents' rights and where Lowcountry families take complaints
South Carolina's Bill of Rights for Residents of Long Term Care Facilities, admission agreement rules, how to file a DPH complaint, the Trident regional ombudsman, DSS Adult Protective Services and restraint limits.
Read →Hurricane evacuation rules for Lowcountry care facilities
South Carolina Regulation 60-84 Section 1401 requires CRCF disaster and evacuation plans; Charleston County facilities must name a sheltering facility outside the coastal counties. What the plans contain, nursing home rules under 42 CFR 483.73, and questions to ask.
Read →How nursing homes around Charleston are licensed, inspected and rated
How DPH licenses South Carolina nursing homes and inspects them for CMS, what Care Compare star ratings measure and miss, state enforcement orders, and how campuses combine nursing and assisted living in the Lowcountry.
Read →Side by side
| South Carolina's rules do | South Carolina's rules do not | |
|---|---|---|
| Assisted living | Require a DPH CRCF license and a licensed administrator | Offer a separate assisted living or memory care license |
| Staffing | Set 1 staff per 8 residents at peak and 1 per 30 off-peak | Set a separate ratio for dementia units |
| Storms | Require a written evacuation plan and sheltering agreement | Leave evacuation to families |
| Records | Make inspection reports public on written request | Post CRCF inspection reports online |
