Transfer Your Counseling License to Georgia: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists (Secretary of State), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) ↗
Georgia is operational in the Counseling Compact, so the answer depends on whether you are moving. If you live in and hold an independent-level license from another operational state, you can practice in Georgia, in person or by telehealth, on a privilege bought through CompactConnect, with no Georgia license. If you are relocating to Georgia, or your home state is not operational, you apply to the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists (Secretary of State), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) for a license by endorsement (fee: $100 ($100 non-refundable LPC endorsement application fee; the 05/02/2023 paper form lists $110, which includes a $10 mail-in processing fee. The current online GOALS fee schedule (goals.sos.ga.gov) returned HTTP 403 and could not be checked. Fingerprint background check paid separately to the vendor; NBCC score-report fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Georgia charges $100 + $30 commission admin fee = $130 for a privilege; no jurisprudence exam).); processing: ~5 weeks (the endorsement application form says to allow up to 25 business days (about 5 weeks) to process a complete application. The Board may also take up the file at a meeting, and an application must be complete 15 days before a meeting to be placed on its agenda. Incomplete applications are withdrawn after 60 days.)).
Moving to Georgia from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice
Before filing anything with the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists (Secretary of State), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), work out whether you are moving or just reaching across the line. A counselor who stays licensed and resident in another operational compact state can serve Georgia clients on a privilege, including by telehealth, and never needs a Georgia license. A counselor moving to Georgia changes home states, and that requires a Georgia license; if your current home state is also a compact member, the compact shortens the application.
Georgia's independent counselor license is the LPC, a clinical-level license with no required supervision; the APC (Associate Professional Counselor) is the associate tier and cannot be obtained by endorsement. Rule 135-3-.04 lets the Board license without examination a counselor licensed in a state whose requirements are 'substantially equal to or greater than' Georgia's. The Board's endorsement policy adds 2 years of unrestricted LPC-level licensure and 2 years of active practice immediately before applying, plus a passing NCE or NCMHCE. The Board considers endorsement 'on a state-by-state basis' and case by case, and may request further verification, so this is endorsement, not full reciprocity. No general universal-licensure-recognition statute is referenced on the Board's pages. Georgia has been an OPERATIONAL Counseling Compact state since 2026-06-02. A counselor whose home state is also operational can practice in Georgia on a privilege ($100 Georgia fee + $30 commission fee, no jurisprudence exam) without this license. Relocating to Georgia still requires a Georgia license. compact_member and compact_status are assembler-provided. sos.ga.gov and goals.sos.ga.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches on 2026-09-27, so Board pages and forms were read from Internet Archive copies of the official URLs.
Georgia requirements at a glance
| Exam | National exam is not retaken: the applicant submits an official passing score on the NBCC NCE or NCMHCE. An applicant who has not passed either exam may be required to pass one before endorsement is considered. No Georgia jurisprudence exam is required for endorsement or for a compact privilege. |
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| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | $100 ($100 non-refundable LPC endorsement application fee; the 05/02/2023 paper form lists $110, which includes a $10 mail-in processing fee. The current online GOALS fee schedule (goals.sos.ga.gov) returned HTTP 403 and could not be checked. Fingerprint background check paid separately to the vendor; NBCC score-report fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Georgia charges $100 + $30 commission admin fee = $130 for a privilege; no jurisprudence exam).) |
| Processing time | ~5 weeks (the endorsement application form says to allow up to 25 business days (about 5 weeks) to process a complete application. The Board may also take up the file at a meeting, and an application must be complete 15 days before a meeting to be placed on its agenda. Incomplete applications are withdrawn after 60 days.) |
Step by step
- Confirm Georgia's current requirements on the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists (Secretary of State), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists (Secretary of State), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, unencumbered clinical-level (independent) professional counselor license in another state; associate-level licenses are not eligible.
- Verify at least 2 years of unrestricted licensure at the Georgia LPC level from every state ever licensed (Form N or the state's own verification, including any discipline).
- Verify at least 2 years of active, unrestricted practice at the LPC level immediately preceding the application.
- Submit an official passing NCE or NCMHCE score and an official master's or doctoral transcript sent directly by the school.
- Complete a nationwide fingerprint criminal background check at the applicant's expense (O.C.G.A. 43-10A-5(i)).
- Pay the fees ($100 ($100 non-refundable LPC endorsement application fee; the 05/02/2023 paper form lists $110, which includes a $10 mail-in processing fee. The current online GOALS fee schedule (goals.sos.ga.gov) returned HTTP 403 and could not be checked. Fingerprint background check paid separately to the vendor; NBCC score-report fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Georgia charges $100 + $30 commission admin fee = $130 for a privilege; no jurisprudence exam).)) and allow ~5 weeks (the endorsement application form says to allow up to 25 business days (about 5 weeks) to process a complete application. The Board may also take up the file at a meeting, and an application must be complete 15 days before a meeting to be placed on its agenda. Incomplete applications are withdrawn after 60 days.).
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Georgia:
All 50 origin states
Nearby states
Counseling license transfer into the states bordering Georgia:
Georgia for other professions
- Nursing in Georgia
- Cosmetology / Barber in Georgia
- Real Estate in Georgia
- Contractor in Georgia
- Teaching in Georgia
- CPA / Accounting in Georgia
- Electrician in Georgia
- Plumber in Georgia
- Engineering in Georgia
- Pharmacy in Georgia
- Physical Therapy in Georgia
- Psychology in Georgia
- Social Work in Georgia
- Occupational Therapy in Georgia
Frequently asked questions
Does my counseling license transfer to Georgia?
Georgia is operational in the Counseling Compact, so the answer depends on whether you are moving. If you live in and hold an independent-level license from another operational state, you can practice in Georgia, in person or by telehealth, on a privilege bought through CompactConnect, with no Georgia license. If you are relocating to Georgia, or your home state is not operational, you apply to the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists (Secretary of State), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) for a license by endorsement (fee: $100 ($100 non-refundable LPC endorsement application fee; the 05/02/2023 paper form lists $110, which includes a $10 mail-in processing fee. The current online GOALS fee schedule (goals.sos.ga.gov) returned HTTP 403 and could not be checked. Fingerprint background check paid separately to the vendor; NBCC score-report fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Georgia charges $100 + $30 commission admin fee = $130 for a privilege; no jurisprudence exam).); processing: ~5 weeks (the endorsement application form says to allow up to 25 business days (about 5 weeks) to process a complete application. The Board may also take up the file at a meeting, and an application must be complete 15 days before a meeting to be placed on its agenda. Incomplete applications are withdrawn after 60 days.)).
Do I have to retake the NCE or NCMHCE to get licensed in Georgia?
National exam is not retaken: the applicant submits an official passing score on the NBCC NCE or NCMHCE. An applicant who has not passed either exam may be required to pass one before endorsement is considered. No Georgia jurisprudence exam is required for endorsement or for a compact privilege.
How much does a Georgia counseling license cost by endorsement?
$100 ($100 non-refundable LPC endorsement application fee; the 05/02/2023 paper form lists $110, which includes a $10 mail-in processing fee. The current online GOALS fee schedule (goals.sos.ga.gov) returned HTTP 403 and could not be checked. Fingerprint background check paid separately to the vendor; NBCC score-report fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Georgia charges $100 + $30 commission admin fee = $130 for a privilege; no jurisprudence exam).)
How long does Georgia take to process the application?
~5 weeks (the endorsement application form says to allow up to 25 business days (about 5 weeks) to process a complete application. The Board may also take up the file at a meeting, and an application must be complete 15 days before a meeting to be placed on its agenda. Incomplete applications are withdrawn after 60 days.)
Is Georgia in the Counseling Compact?
Yes. Georgia was operational as of 2026-09-27, issuing privileges to its own licensees and accepting privileges from other operational states. A counselor whose home state is also operational can practice in Georgia on a privilege; moving to Georgia still requires a Georgia license.
Can I see Georgia clients by telehealth from another state?
Yes, if your home state is also operational and you hold a Georgia privilege. The privilege covers telehealth as well as in-person work. From a home state that is not operational, you need Georgia's own authorization, normally a Georgia license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Georgia SOS: How to Guide, Professional Counselor (Endorsement checklist; Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-24, live page returned 403) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia Composite Board: Application for Licensure as a Professional Counselor by Endorsement, 05/02/2023 (Internet Archive copy of the official PDF; live file returned 403) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia Composite Board: Policy Statements, VII Endorsement - Professional Counselors (Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-24) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 135-3-.04 Licensure by Endorsement (Georgia Rules and Regulations) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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