Counseling License from Indiana to Georgia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Georgia accept an Indiana counseling license?
Yes, for working in Georgia — both Indiana and Georgia are active members of the Counseling Compact. If Indiana is your primary state of residence and your Indiana license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Georgia without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Georgia, you will need a Georgia license once Georgia becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Indiana and Georgia are both operational in the Counseling Compact, so the first question is whether you are moving. If you are staying in Indiana and want to see clients located in Georgia, in person or by telehealth, you do not need a Georgia license: with an active, unencumbered independent-level Indiana license and Indiana as your primary residence, you buy a Georgia privilege through CompactConnect and meet any Georgia jurisprudence requirement. If you are relocating, the privilege does not carry you. Georgia becomes your home state and you must obtain a Georgia license from the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists (Secretary of State), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC); because both states are members, the compact streamlines that application, but it is still required.
What's different between Indiana and Georgia
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Georgia. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Indiana to Georgia (this page): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
Georgia to Indiana (the reverse move): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Indiana matter?
Coming from Indiana matters here: only 10 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Georgia.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40).
- Counseling Compact membership
Indiana and Georgia are both Counseling Compact member states.
A compact privilege lets you practice in Georgia while Indiana is your home state; it is not a license, and a move to Georgia needs a Georgia license.
- Application fee
Georgia lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and Indiana lists $50 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Georgia lists up to 4 weeks; Indiana has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Georgia and Indiana carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Georgia (this move): 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.
- Indiana (the reverse move): National exam is not retaken if the applicant passed the NCMHCE or an equivalent state-constructed exam at the same or higher level for the other-state license. NBCC sends the official NCMHCE score report to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. The NCE is NOT equivalent to the NCMHCE, so NCE-only licensees must take the NCMHCE in Indiana. Other exams are reviewed for equivalency by the Board. The Board's current LMHC reciprocity checklist lists no jurisprudence exam.
What changes, Indiana → Georgia
| Indiana (current) | Georgia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $50 (LMHC reciprocity application fee, paid by card online; nonrefundable. Criminal background check paid separately to the vendor; other-state verification fees may apply; NBCC score-report fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Indiana charges a $50 state fee + $30 commission administrative fee = $80 for a privilege; no jurisprudence exam required for the privilege).) | $100 ($100 non-refundable LPC endorsement application fee per the Board's fee schedule (dated 04/18/2023: '$100 application fee + $10 processing fee = $110'); the $10 is a mail-in application processing fee. Applications are now filed in the GOALS portal, and the online GOALS fee schedule (goals.sos.ga.gov) returned HTTP 403 on 2026-10-29, so the portal amount 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 | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for LMHC reciprocity applications | up to 4 weeks (the Board's How-to Guide says applications are 'generally processed within 20 business days of receipt' (about 4 weeks), and the count restarts after a deficiency letter. Completed applications may also go to a Board meeting and must be complete at least 15 days before it to be placed on the agenda. Incomplete applications may be withdrawn if deficiencies are not fixed within 60 days of notice.) |
| Licensing authority | Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency): Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) | Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists (Secretary of State), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Georgia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
- To work in Georgia: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Georgia through the compact commission and complete any Georgia jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Georgia: apply for a Georgia license with the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists (Secretary of State), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What does the move cost?
To work in Georgia while living in Indiana: a $30 commission fee plus Georgia's state privilege fee, paid in CompactConnect. To relocate and take a Georgia license: $100 ($100 non-refundable LPC endorsement application fee per the Board's fee schedule (dated 04/18/2023: '$100 application fee + $10 processing fee = $110'); the $10 is a mail-in application processing fee.
How long will it take?
A privilege can issue once CompactConnect confirms your eligibility and any Georgia jurisprudence requirement is done, usually well ahead of a license. A Georgia license for a relocation: up to 4 weeks (the Board's How-to Guide says applications are 'generally processed within 20 business days of receipt' (about 4 weeks), and the count restarts after a deficiency letter.
Can I see Georgia clients by telehealth while living in Indiana?
Yes, on a Georgia privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Georgia, as long as your Indiana license stays active and unencumbered and Indiana remains your primary residence.
If I move from Indiana to Georgia, does my privilege keep me covered?
No. A privilege is for practice away from your home state, not for moving. Once you relocate, Georgia is your home state and you need a Georgia license. Because both states are compact members, Georgia verifies you through the compact's data system, and you complete its background checks and any jurisprudence requirement.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Georgia SOS: How to Guide, Professional Counselor (Endorsement checklist, 20-business-day processing; read live) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Georgia Composite Board: Policy Statements, VII Endorsement - Professional Counselors (read live) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Georgia Composite Board: Fee Schedule (04/18/2023; endorsement $100 + $10 processing fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Georgia Composite Board: Verification of Licensure from Another State/Jurisdiction, Form N ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Georgia Composite Board: board page (Counseling Compact now live; GOALS portal) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 135-3-.04 Licensure by Endorsement (Georgia Rules and Regulations) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Indiana PLA: Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Information (LMHC Reciprocity checklist, exam policy, Counseling Compact); Internet Archive capture 2026-10-10 ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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