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LicenseReciprocity

Counseling License from Indiana to Georgia: Does It Transfer? (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) ↗

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 changes, Indiana → Georgia

Side-by-side: Indiana vs Georgia (Counseling (LPC / LMHC)), verified 2026-09-27
Indiana (current)Georgia (destination)
Counseling Compact statusCounseling Compact member — compact privilege to practiceCounseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice
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; 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 timethe Board publishes no processing timeframe for LMHC reciprocity applications~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.)
Licensing authorityIndiana 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

  1. Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
  2. To work in Georgia: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Georgia through the compact commission and complete any Georgia jurisprudence requirement.
  3. Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
  4. 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

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.

Do I retake the NCE or NCMHCE moving from Indiana to 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.

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; 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 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: ~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.)

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 2026-09-27.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]