Transfer Your Physical Therapy License to Georgia: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) ↗
Georgia is an active PT Compact member, which opens two doors. If your home state is also a compact member and you hold an active license there, you can buy a Georgia compact privilege through the commission — a practice authorization, not a Georgia license — after meeting any Georgia jurisprudence requirement. If you are relocating to Georgia, or your home state is not a member, you apply to the Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) for licensure by endorsement instead: $85 ($75 physical therapist application fee plus the $10 paper-application processing fee; the Board states the online application is NOT available to endorsement/reciprocity applicants, so the $5 online processing fee does not apply. Fingerprint/background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor, and the GA JAM is $65 paid to FSBPT. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.), with your NPTE score transferred through the FSBPT rather than retaken.
Moving to Georgia from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
PT Compact member — multistate license honored
Whether Georgia costs you a full license or just a privilege depends on what you are actually doing. Working in Georgia while your license and residence stay in another member state — a travel assignment, a satellite clinic, telehealth across the line — means buying a Georgia compact privilege and keeping your home license; Georgia charges no full-license fee for that path, though it may require its jurisprudence exam first. Relocating to Georgia is the other case: your residence changes, Georgia becomes your home state, and that is licensure by endorsement with the Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division), after which Georgia can anchor privileges of its own.
Georgia is an ACTIVE PT Compact member, so a PT whose home state is also an active member can work in Georgia on a compact privilege instead of endorsing; the commission lists Georgia's privilege at $110 total ($65 state + $45 commission), and the GA JAM must be passed BEFORE applying for the privilege (initial and renewal). The Board states plainly that it 'does not currently have a reciprocal agreement with any other state' — endorsement is an application, not automatic. A key eligibility trap: you must have practiced in another jurisdiction within the past 2 years, otherwise you must apply by examination instead. Applications are void 60 days after a deficiency notice.
Georgia requirements at a glance
| Exam | NPTE is not retaken; you request FSBPT to send an official copy of your NPTE score directly to the Board. Georgia additionally requires passing the Georgia Jurisprudence Assessment Module (GA JAM), administered by FSBPT. |
|---|---|
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $85 ($75 physical therapist application fee plus the $10 paper-application processing fee; the Board states the online application is NOT available to endorsement/reciprocity applicants, so the $5 online processing fee does not apply. Fingerprint/background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor, and the GA JAM is $65 paid to FSBPT. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | 3–5 weeks (the Board states individual application documents are generally reviewed within 15 business days (~3 weeks), and up to 25 business days (~5 weeks) when deficiencies are found; applications requiring full Board review take longer and must be complete two weeks before a meeting) |
Step by step
- Confirm Georgia's current requirements on the Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current license in good standing and have practiced in another jurisdiction within the past 2 years.
- Have an official transcript sent directly from your CAPTE-accredited program showing graduation date and degree conferred.
- Pass the Georgia Jurisprudence Assessment Module (GA JAM) through FSBPT.
- Complete a fingerprint background check through the GAPS Applicant Processing Service (Idemia/Fieldprint).
- Have license verification sent directly to the Board from every state where you have ever been licensed.
- Document 26 hours of continuing education completed within the past 2 years.
- Pay the fees ($85 ($75 physical therapist application fee plus the $10 paper-application processing fee; the Board states the online application is NOT available to endorsement/reciprocity applicants, so the $5 online processing fee does not apply. Fingerprint/background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor, and the GA JAM is $65 paid to FSBPT. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.)) and allow 3–5 weeks (the Board states individual application documents are generally reviewed within 15 business days (~3 weeks), and up to 25 business days (~5 weeks) when deficiencies are found; applications requiring full Board review take longer and must be complete two weeks before a meeting).
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Georgia:
All 50 origin states
Frequently asked questions
Does my physical therapy license transfer to Georgia?
Georgia is an active PT Compact member, which opens two doors. If your home state is also a compact member and you hold an active license there, you can buy a Georgia compact privilege through the commission — a practice authorization, not a Georgia license — after meeting any Georgia jurisprudence requirement. If you are relocating to Georgia, or your home state is not a member, you apply to the Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) for licensure by endorsement instead: $85 ($75 physical therapist application fee plus the $10 paper-application processing fee; the Board states the online application is NOT available to endorsement/reciprocity applicants, so the $5 online processing fee does not apply. Fingerprint/background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor, and the GA JAM is $65 paid to FSBPT. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.), with your NPTE score transferred through the FSBPT rather than retaken.
Do I have to retake the NPTE to get licensed in Georgia?
No. NPTE is not retaken; you request FSBPT to send an official copy of your NPTE score directly to the Board. Georgia additionally requires passing the Georgia Jurisprudence Assessment Module (GA JAM), administered by FSBPT.. No state requires a second NPTE.
How much does it cost to transfer a PT license to Georgia by endorsement?
$85 ($75 physical therapist application fee plus the $10 paper-application processing fee; the Board states the online application is NOT available to endorsement/reciprocity applicants, so the $5 online processing fee does not apply. Fingerprint/background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor, and the GA JAM is $65 paid to FSBPT. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) ($75 physical therapist application fee plus the $10 paper-application processing fee; the Board states the online application is NOT available to endorsement/reciprocity applicants, so the $5 online processing fee does not apply. Fingerprint/background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor, and the GA JAM is $65 paid to FSBPT. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long does Georgia take to process an endorsement application?
3–5 weeks (the Board states individual application documents are generally reviewed within 15 business days (~3 weeks), and up to 25 business days (~5 weeks) when deficiencies are found; applications requiring full Board review take longer and must be complete two weeks before a meeting) — the Board states individual application documents are generally reviewed within 15 business days (~3 weeks), and up to 25 business days (~5 weeks) when deficiencies are found; applications requiring full Board review take longer and must be complete two weeks before a meeting.
Is Georgia in the PT Compact?
Yes — Georgia is an active member as of 2026-08-07. A PT or PTA whose home state is also a member can buy a Georgia compact privilege instead of a full license; relocating to Georgia still requires licensure by endorsement.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy — Fee Schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy — Instruction Sheet for Application for Licensure ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy — FAQ (reciprocity, processing, CE, background check) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact — Compact Privilege Fee, Jurisprudence and Waiver Table ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact — States by Category ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]