Georgia RENEWAL Requirements & Hours Tracker

Psychologist license renewal in Georgia is governed by the Georgia State Board of Examiners of Psychologists through Chapters 510‑7 and 510‑8 of the Georgia Compiled Rules and Regulations. Renewal is not based on new supervised practice hours (such as “1,500 hours of direct experience”), but on continuing education (CE) credits, which the Board defines on a one‑to‑one basis with clock hours. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

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1. Renewal cycle and deadlines

• License expiration date:
  Every psychology license “will expire on December 31st of even numbered years.” (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• Renewal period length:
  Licenses are renewed for a two‑year period if all renewal requirements (including CE) are satisfied and the renewal fee is paid. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• CE “biennium” for renewal:
  The CE reporting period “runs from January 1 of an odd numbered year to December 31 of the following even numbered year.” (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

  • Example: Current biennium for the cycle ending December 31, 2026 is January 1, 2025–December 31, 2026.

• Late renewal window:
  Licenses “may be renewed within thirty one (31) days” after expiration, subject to a late renewal penalty in addition to the renewal fee. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• No practice with an expired license:
  The Board states that licensees are “NOT to practice after December 31st of each even numbered year until the license has been renewed and is in active status.” (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• Lapse and reinstatement:
  If the license is not renewed within 31 days of expiration, it is “considered lapsed.” Reinstatement is at the Board’s sole discretion and requires additional steps (see Section 6 below). (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

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2. Core continuing‑education requirement (the “hours” for renewal)

For a fully licensed psychologist renewing a standard, active license:

• Total required CE:
  The Board rule states: “A total of 40 credits of continuing education relevant to the licensee’s professional activities are required biennially to renew a license.” (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• Clock‑hour definition:
  “Time counted shall be a clock hour for each hour’s CE credit.”
  → This means 40 CE credits = 40 clock hours of CE activities during each two‑year CE period. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• Ethics requirement within the 40 hours:

  • 6 CE credits (6 hours) must be in professional ethics.
  • These 6 credits must be “earned in professional ethics at a workshop attended either in person or a synchronous webinar.” (rules.sos.georgia.gov)
  • The ethics content must relate to “ethical, legal, statutory, or regulatory policies, guidelines, and/or standards that impact psychology” and must be postdoctoral in nature. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

So, for a typical renewal cycle you must complete:

40 total CE hours, including 6 hours of professional ethics obtained through an in‑person workshop or synchronous online webinar.

There is no requirement for a specified number of new clinical practice or supervised practice hours for renewal; the quantitative requirements are entirely in CE credits.

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3. Types of CE activities and how hours can be earned

The Board divides acceptable CE into several “Areas” and defines how many hours you may (or must) take in each, and what documentation is required. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

3.1 Key delivery‑method definitions

The Board defines: (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• In‑person: You are physically present in the same room.
• Face‑to‑face: Either in‑person or a synchronous activity (live, real‑time online).
• Synchronous activities: Live online interactive videoconferences in real time.
• Asynchronous activities: Online courses or recorded programs accessed on your own schedule.

These definitions matter because ethics hours must be in person or synchronous, while other CE types can often be completed asynchronously.

3.2 Area I – Academic activities (max 20 hours)

Area I includes three academic sub‑activities: Academic Courses, Instruction, and Publications. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• Academic courses

  • Graduate‑level courses in psychology or related fields from a regionally accredited university.
  • Max 20 CE credits per biennium in this category.
  • Documentation: official transcript showing the course and passing grade.

• Instruction (teaching)

  • Teaching, for the first time, a semester‑long (or equivalent) graduate or undergraduate course related to psychology at a regionally accredited institution.
    • Up to 10 CE credits per course, with a maximum of 20 CE credits per biennium from such courses.
  • Presenting, for the first time, an approved‑sponsor workshop:
    • Day‑long (6‑credit‑hour) workshop: each hour presented = 1 CE credit;
      max 12 CE credits per biennium (two such 6‑hour workshops).
    • Half‑day (3‑credit‑hour) workshop: each hour presented = 1 CE credit;
      max 6 CE credits per biennium (two such 3‑hour workshops).
  • Documentation: program announcement or catalog listing you as instructor/presenter, plus your attestation that it is a first‑time presentation.

• Publications

  • First‑ or second‑author articles in peer‑reviewed journals; book or book‑chapter authorship; or editing/co‑editing a book or peer‑reviewed journal related to psychology.
  • Up to 5 CE credits per article, with a maximum of 10 CE credits per biennium for publications.
  • Documentation: journal abstract, table of contents, or editorial page showing your name.

3.3 Area II – Ongoing group consultation (10–20 hours if used)

Area II covers structured, ongoing professional consultation activities such as case consultation groups, research groups, or journal clubs that meet regularly. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• The group must:

  • Consist of at least 3 psychologists and no more than 8 licensed participants (the leader counts toward this minimum).
  • Be led by a psychologist with an unencumbered Georgia license.
  • Focus on psychological activities related to your practice, meeting regularly in‑person or synchronously.

• Credit and limits:

  • 1 hour of group consultation = 1 CE credit.
  • If you claim Area II, you must earn a minimum of 10 CE credits and may count up to 20 CE credits from this area per biennium.
  • Practically, that means at least ten 1‑hour sessions and at most twenty 1‑hour sessions may be counted.

• Documentation:

  • A contemporaneous log including:
    • Dates attended
    • Topics discussed
    • Location
    • Identification of participants
    • Number of hours
  • The log must be attested to and notarized by the group leader.

3.4 Area III – Approved sponsored continuing education (up to 40 hours)

Area III includes participation in CE offered by organizations the Board recognizes as approved sponsors. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• Credit and limits:

  • 1 hour of participation = 1 CE credit.
  • You may earn up to 40 CE credits per biennium from Area III (in practice, you could meet the entire 40‑hour requirement this way if you also satisfy the ethics requirement).

• Delivery methods:

  • For Area III, the Board allows in‑person, synchronous, or asynchronous formats.

• Examples of approved sponsors:

  • State psychological associations
  • The American Psychological Association (APA) and its approved sponsors
  • Canadian Psychological Association approved sponsors
  • Academies of the Specialty Boards of the American Board of Professional Psychology
  • Association for Psychological Science
  • National Association of School Psychologists
  • Regionally accredited institutions offering graduate training in psychology or related fields
  • Certain federal and state government entities training at the post‑doctoral level by licensed psychologists
  • Category I CME (AMA/Canadian Medical Association) and certain Bar Association programs, if relevant to psychology. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• Documentation:
  An official certificate of attendance/participation from the sponsor, showing date, title, location, and hours.

3.5 Ethics hours: special treatment

Within those categories, the 6 ethics hours must: (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• Be obtained at an in‑person workshop or a synchronous webinar (not asynchronous).
• Cover ethical, legal, statutory, or regulatory issues relevant to psychology.
• Be postdoctoral in level.
• Be recorded as Area I (when earned via teaching/academic routes) or Area III (when earned via sponsored CE).

The Board also grants ethics CE credit for certain Board service or ethics‑committee service (e.g., peer review for the Board, serving on the GPA ethics committee or Board subcommittees), with specified credit amounts (typically 3–6 ethics credits depending on level and duration of service). (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

3.6 ABPP exam option

Successful completion of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) board examination:

• “Will satisfy all continuing education requirements in the biennium during which the examination is passed,” provided you submit ABPP documentation to the Board. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

In other words, if you pass the ABPP exam in that CE biennium, it can cover the entire 40‑hour requirement (including ethics), subject to Board verification.

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4. Special CE rules for first‑time renewal after initial licensure

The Board prorates CE for psychologists who are newly licensed during a biennium. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• Licensed in the first year of the biennium
  (Between January 1 and December 31 of an odd‑numbered year):

  • Must obtain 20 CE credits, including 3 ethics credits, to renew for the first time.

• Licensed in the second year of the biennium
  (Between January 1 and December 31 of an even‑numbered year):

  • No CE is required to renew for the first time.

After that first renewal, you move into the standard pattern of 40 CE credits with 6 ethics hours each biennium.

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5. Record‑keeping, attestation, and audits

The reporting and documentation requirements are detailed in Rule 510‑8‑.03. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• Retention of records:

  • Each licensee must maintain their own CE records for four years; the Board does not keep CE files for you.

• Attestation at renewal:

  • On the biennial renewal application, you must attest under oath that you have completed the required CE credits.
  • You normally do not submit documentation unless the Board requests it (e.g., an audit).

• Audits:

  • The Board audits a fixed percentage of renewal applications.
  • If you are selected, you must:
    • Complete a Continuing Education Report Form, and
    • Provide supporting documentation (certificates, logs, transcripts, etc.) for CE activities claimed under Areas I, II, III, and any additional areas specified.

• Consequences of inadequate documentation or insufficient CE:

  • If an audited licensee fails to provide acceptable documentation, the license will not be renewed.
  • You may obtain the missing CE credits within 31 days, but the license is not renewed until the Board approves your documentation.
  • Failure to satisfy CE within that late period results in revocation of the license by operation of law, and practicing without a renewed license exposes you to disciplinary action, including possible revocation. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

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6. If your license lapses (reinstate vs. renew)

Once the 31‑day late‑renewal window passes, the Board treats the license as lapsed and the simple “renewal” option no longer applies. Instead, you must seek reinstatement under Rule 510‑7‑.02. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• Lapsed less than 12 months:

  • Reinstatement is at the Board’s discretion.
  • You must submit:
    • An Application for Reinstatement
    • Documentation of 40 hours of CE completed within two years of the date the Board receives your reinstatement application
    • A penalty fee in addition to regular fees (see current fee schedule).

• Lapsed 12 months or more:

  • Still at the Board’s discretion.
  • Requires:
    • Application for Reinstatement
    • Documentation of 40 hours of CE completed within two calendar years of the application date
    • Passage of both:
      • The Georgia Jurisprudence Examination
      • The Oral Examination administered by the Board. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• If also licensed in another jurisdiction:

  • Must also submit Verification of Current Licensure from that jurisdiction, plus the same exams and CE listed above. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

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7. Inactive status vs. renewal

If you do not intend to practice or use the title “psychologist” in Georgia, you may request Inactive Status instead of renewing an active license. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

• To go inactive:

  • Hold a current, unencumbered license.
  • Apply for Inactive Status and pay the required fee.
  • While inactive, you may not practice psychology in Georgia or use the psychologist title.

• To return to active status:

  • You must go through reinstatement under Rule 510‑7‑.02 (including CE and possibly examinations), not just a simple online renewal. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

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8. Practical renewal steps (process, not just hours)

The Georgia Secretary of State’s “How‑To Guide: Psychologist” outlines the mechanics of renewal. (sos.ga.gov)

In brief:

1. Confirm you are in the correct renewal window

   • Licenses expire December 31 of even‑numbered years; the late renewal window ends 31 days later.

2. Complete all required CE before submitting renewal

   • Ensure you have:
     • 40 CE hours (unless prorated as a new licensee or using ABPP),
     • 6 ethics hours in the correct format, and
     • Documentation organized and saved for at least four years.

3. Renew online through the GOALS licensing portal

   • Register/login to the Georgia Online Application Licensing System (GOALS).
   • Complete the online renewal form, including CE attestation under oath.
   • Pay the renewal fee (amount set on the current Board fee schedule; verify on the Board website as fees can change). (sos.ga.gov)

4. If selected for CE audit

   • Follow the Board’s instructions to submit your CE Report Form and all required supporting documents. Your license remains “active‑renewal pending” while the audit is under review, as long as you filed correctly and on time.

5. Verify renewal status

   • After submission, check your license record on the Secretary of State/Board search page to confirm that your status is “active” for the new period.

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Summary of “hours” for Georgia psychologist licensure renewal

For an established, active Georgia‑licensed psychologist:

• 40 CE credits (40 clock hours) every 2 years,
• Including 6 credits (6 hours) of professional ethics, obtained via in‑person or synchronous webinar activities,
• With the 40 hours earned through a combination of:
  • Academic coursework, instruction, and publications (Area I, up to 20 hours)
  • Ongoing group consultation (Area II, 10–20 hours if used)
  • Approved sponsored continuing education (Area III, up to 40 hours)
  • Or, in some cases, ABPP exam completion substituting for all CE in that biennium. (rules.sos.georgia.gov)

No additional minimum practice hours, such as “1,500 hours of direct experience,” are specified for renewal; the Board’s quantitative requirements for renewal are entirely in terms of CE credits and ethics content, within the defined renewal cycle.