Counseling License from Wyoming 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 Wyoming and Georgia are active members of the Counseling Compact. If Wyoming is your primary state of residence and your Wyoming 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
Working in Georgia and moving to Georgia are two different transactions here. Cross-border practice, whether a telehealth caseload or in-person sessions, runs on a Georgia privilege bought through CompactConnect and anchored to your Wyoming license, which must stay active, unencumbered, and at the independent level. A move of residence needs a new home-state license from the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists (Secretary of State), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Both states being compact members shortens that license application, since Georgia verifies you through the compact's data system, but you still complete its background checks and any jurisprudence requirement.
What changes, Wyoming → Georgia
| Wyoming (current) | Georgia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice | Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice |
| Application fee | $375 (LPC by Reciprocity application fee per the Board's reciprocity application; the $419 total due at application also includes a $39 background-check fee and a $5 NPDB continuous-query fee; all fees non-refundable. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Wyoming's total privilege cost is $280 including the $30 commission fee, with no jurisprudence exam, per the commission's fee table).) | $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 | 5–8 weeks (board-stated: review 'generally takes 2-3 weeks in addition to the 3-5 weeks for the background check') | ~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 authority | Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board | 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
Does Georgia accept a Wyoming counseling license?
Yes, for working in Georgia — both Wyoming and Georgia are active members of the Counseling Compact. If Wyoming is your primary state of residence and your Wyoming 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 Wyoming 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 Wyoming: 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 Wyoming?
Yes, on a Georgia privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Georgia, as long as your Wyoming license stays active and unencumbered and Wyoming remains your primary residence.
If I move from Wyoming 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.
- 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)
- Wyoming MHPLB: Licensed Professional Counselor by Reciprocity Instructions and Application (Board-linked Google Doc) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wyoming MHPLB: Application and Forms (LPC by reciprocity, processing times) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wyoming MHPLB: Questions and Answers (reciprocity is state-to-state comparison, no pre-review) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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