The Office of Secretary of State

Brian P. Kemp
SECRETARY OF STATE

      


Effective July 1, 2012, the Professional Licensing Boards Division will no longer print and/or mail courtesy hard copies of blue wall licenses and pocket cards to licensees free of charge. This is a difficult yet necessary decision in these tough economic times. Since fiscal year 2008, the Professional Licensing Boards Division has tackled a 15% budget reduction and a 32% personnel reduction. For fiscal year 2013, the Division is forced again to tackle cuts totaling 2% of its budget. In addition to budget and personnel reductions, the Division has faced an additional workload created by the requirements of secure and verifiable documentation for licensure and the growth of professional licensing applications. The Division has done an exemplary job of implementing efficient practices and leveraging technology when possible while trying to minimize the impact to the licensees.

Statutes and board rules require a licensee to post a copy of their license at their place of business for inspection. To meet this requirement, we will provide an electronic version of the professional license for the individual or business to obtain from our website free of charge. This change will apply to all license types and to the issuance of new and renewed licenses. As always, if someone is seeking to verify the status of a professional licensee, they should use our real-time verification portal located at https://secure.sos.state.ga.us/myverification. This portal contains the most accurate and up-to-date information on a licensee's status.

To access the electronic version of the professional license, the licensee will login to their online licensing record at https://secure.sos.state.ga.us/printlicense. After accessing their online licensing record, the licensee will be able to select the electronic version of their professional license. In addition to obtaining the electronic version of their license from their online licensing file, the licensee will be able to select enhanced services such as requesting a decorative wall certificate for an additional charge.

I appreciate your understanding and patience as we seek solutions to get through these challenging economic times.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 
Sincerely,
 

Brian P. Kemp
Secretary of State
 

214 State Capitol ● Atlanta, Georgia ● 30334 ● (404) 656-2881 ● (404) 656-0513 Fax
www.sos.ga.gov

 



 

 

Blue Wall License and Pocket Card FAQs

 

1.      How can I get a duplicate pocket card or a blue wall license sent to me?

Effective July 1, 2012, the Professional Licensing Boards Division will no longer print and/or mail hard copies of blue wall licenses and pocket cards to licensees as a courtesy. For a fee of $25, licensees can purchase a hard copy of a blue wall license and a pocket card.

 

2.      How can I get a pocket card or a blue wall license for free?

Licensees can log in to their online licensing record at https://secure.sos.state.ga.us/printlicense and can print the electronic version of their professional license for free.

 

3.   Since the law requires a licensee to post a copy of their license at their place of business for inspection, how do I remain in compliance under this new system?  

Licensees will post their printed electronic licenses which can be found at https://secure.sos.state.ga.us/printlicense.

 

4.      Will this apply to all licenses issued by the Professional Licensing Boards Division?

This change will apply to all license types and to the issuance of new and renewed licenses.

 

5.      What is the effective date of the change?

This change is effective July 1, 2012.

 6.      How can someone verify a license?

If someone is seeking to verify the status of a professional licensee, they should visit the Division’s real-time verification portal located at https://secure.sos.state.ga.us/myverification.  This portal contains the most accurate and up-to-date information on a licensee’s status.