(A) Each municipal judge must be appointed by the council to serve for a term set by the council of not less than two years but not more than four years and until his successor is appointed and qualified. His compensation must be fixed by the council.

(B) The council shall notify South Carolina Court Administration of any persons appointed or reappointed as municipal judges.

(C) Before entering upon the discharge of the duties of his office, each judge shall take and subscribe the oath of office prescribed by Article VI, Section 5 of the South Carolina Constitution.

(D) Notwithstanding any other provision of law relating to the terms and qualifications of municipal judges:

(1) All municipal judges shall complete a training program or pass certification or recertification examinations, or both, pursuant to standards established by the Supreme Court of South Carolina. The examination must be offered at least three times each year. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall establish guidelines for exempting municipal judges from taking an examination based upon experience or education factors.

(a) Municipal judges appointed for the first time on or after the effective date of this act shall complete the training program and pass the certification examination within one year after taking office, or before April 30, 2001, whichever is later.

(b) Municipal judges serving in the counties of Abbeville, Allendale, Bamberg, Beaufort, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Dillon, Edgefield, Florence, Greenville, Hampton, Jasper, Lancaster, Lee, Marion, McCormick, Oconee, Pickens, Saluda, Sumter, and Williamsburg, as of the effective date of this section, shall pass a certification examination before April 30, 2001.

(c) Municipal judges serving in the counties of Aiken, Anderson, Barnwell, Berkeley, Charleston, Chester, Darlington, Dorchester, Fairfield, Georgetown, Greenwood, Horry, Kershaw, Laurens, Lexington, Marlboro, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Spartanburg, Union, and York, as of the effective date of this section, shall pass a certification examination before April 30, 2002.

(d) Every municipal judge shall pass a recertification examination within eight years after passing the initial certification examination and at least once every eight years thereafter.

(2) If any municipal judge does not comply with these training or examination requirements, his office is declared vacant on the date the time expires or when he is notified, as provided in subsection (E), whichever is earlier.

(E) Upon written notification of the Supreme Court or its designee to the affected municipal judge and the council of the failure of the municipal judge to complete the training program or pass the certification examination required pursuant to subsection (D), the municipal judge’s office is declared vacant, the municipal judge does not hold over, and the council shall appoint a successor, as provided in § 14-25-25; however, the council shall not reappoint the current municipal judge who failed to complete the training program or pass the certification examination required pursuant to subsection (D) to a new term or to fill the vacancy in the existing term.

(F) No municipal judge who is admitted to practice in the courts of this State shall practice law in the municipal court for which he is appointed.

(G) All municipal judges shall attend annually the number of approved continuing education hours in criminal law and subject areas related to municipal judges’ duties which are required by the Supreme Court of South Carolina. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall establish guidelines for exempting municipal judges from the continuing education hours required by this section based upon experience or education factors.