FAQ for the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions related to the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy.
View the How-To Guide: Occupational Therapist page for this information>>
No. You cannot use your out of state license to practice in Georgia. You must hold a valid license issued by the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy to practice in Georgia.
Yes, if you meet the licensure requirements, which includes NBCOT certification. You must submit the appropriate application and any required supplemental documents along with the non-refundable and non-transferable fee. Applications are void after 60 days from the date of notification of application deficiencies. If all required supplemental documents are not received within that 60-day window, your application will be withdrawn, and you will need to re-apply.
If you have passed the NBCOT certification exam, you must ensure that your score report is can be verified and is available electronically on the NBCOT Verification of Certification portal and State Regulatory Portals.
If you have taken the exam MORE THAN ONCE, the Board must receive copies of all your scores, not just the passing score. You MUST contact NBCOT by phone at (301) 990-7979 or by email at [email protected] and request an Exam Score Transfer Order Form. Complete it and return it along with any necessary fees to NBCOT. They will then ensure that all your scores are reported to the Board.
The Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy may issue a limited permit to a person who has met the educational and experience requirements and is waiting to sit for the NBCOT examination. Please refer to Board Rule 671-3-.06 Limited Permit, and the Georgia Occupational Therapy Licensing Act § 43-28-12 (B).
To be able to use physical agent modalities, or any occupational therapy techniques involving physical agent modalities, you must first submit the Certification for Use of Physical Agent Modalities application, fee, and supplemental documentation to gain board approval to do so. Practicing and/or instruction of modalities is prohibited on a client even under supervision of a PAMS certified therapist until a “Certification in all Modalities” has been awarded. NO licensed OT/OTA may use modalities until “Certification in all Modalities” is awarded to a licensed individual by the Board.
Applications are void after 60 days from the date of notification of application deficiencies. If all required supplemental documents are not received within that 60-day window, your application will be withdrawn, and you will need to re-apply.
You must currently hold a Georgia OT or OTA license (not a limited permit) and have completed the Physical Agent Modalities Board Application (which can be downloaded from the website) showing the following:
- Successfully complete a minimum of 90 contact hours of instruction or training in the required content areas
- No less than 36 contact hours must be directly related to the specific theories and practical application of physical agent modalities
Please review all Georgia Occupational Therapy Laws and Rules before submitting a completed application.
Once your application for initial licensure is complete, and all the supporting documents have been received, your application file will be reviewed within 25 business days. If you meet the requirements and there are no grounds to delay processing, the license will be issued. Reinstatement applications must be reviewed by the Board; therefore, it is important to be cognizant of the board meeting dates and ensure that your application is complete at least 2 weeks prior to that date.
Applications are void after 60 days from the date of notification of application deficiencies. If all required supplemental documents are not received within that 60-day window, your application will be withdrawn, and you will need to re-apply.
DO NOT accept employment in Georgia prior to the issuance of a license to practice in this state.
You may check the status of an application, verify an active license or print a copy of your license once issued. You may also call the Board office at 404-424-9966.
Please note that we are experiencing some technical difficulties regarding the feature which allows licensees to print their license pocket cards to reflect the modalities certification which may have been granted to the licensee by the Board. The print feature is currently not revealing the modalities certification on the license. As a result of this technical glitch, the Board is requesting that all parties verify that a licensee is certified in modalities by using the real time, online license verification feature.
To use this feature, select the "Licensure Search" button on this home page. Enter the search criteria for the licensed occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant in and select "Search." Move your cursor over the name of the licensee and select the name. You will be taken to the online license verification for that licensee. If that individual has been approved by the Board to practice modalities, you will see "All Modalities" as a secondary license type on this page. If you do not see "All Modalities" in the secondary field, that licensee is not certified to practice modalities in the state of Georgia.
We request your patience as we continue to try and correct the printing error and do apologize for any inconvenience.
All OT and OTA licenses expire on March 31st of all even numbered years. You are responsible for renewing your license during the renewal period prior to the expiration date. You will be notified by e-mail when the renewal goes 'live". If you do not have an e-mail address on file, a postcard will be forwarded to your address of record.
Individuals become subject to the requirements of renewal beginning the day that the license is issued. As a result, CE completed prior to the date the license was issued in Georgia may not be used to meet the CE requirements to renew the license.
The Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy requires each licensed OT and OTA to complete continuing education. A minimum 24 contact clock hours of continuing education is required for every renewal. Twelve of the hours must relate to direct “hands on” patient care. These hours must be obtained through attendance at live presentations such as workshops, seminars, conferences, or formal academic coursework, or real-time, interactive webinars. Up to 12 hours may be obtained using on-line or home-study courses and may be obtained in any contact area related to occupational therapy practice including but not limited to supervision, education, documentation, quality assurance, and administration. A minimum of 2 of the 24 hours must be in ethics of occupational therapy practice.
Licensees cannot obtain direct "live" continuing education credit from electronic or web based courses, formal self-study courses, satellite broadcasts, computer learning activities, webinars, or viewing videotapes in a professional setting unless the course is a real-time, interactive webinar.
Please refer to Rule 671-3-.08 - Renewal of License/Penalties/Continuing Education Requirements for additional information.
NOTE: CE are required only if the licensee applies to renew the license. If the licensee allows the license to expire (lapse) or applies to place the license in an inactive status before the license expires, CE will not be required until he or she attempts to reinstate the license.
The Board no longer pre-approves any continuing education courses or continuing education providers. Applicants and licensees are encouraged to review Board Rule 671-3-.08 regarding acceptable categories for professional continuing education activities.
If you are interested in offering a CE course, please contact the Georgia Occupational Therapy Association (GOTA) at 1-770-435-5910 or view their website www.gaota.com.
Address changes will be accepted via USPS Mail Service or fax to 866-888-1308 if the appropriate information is submitted on the Name and Address Change Request Form. Licensees may also use the Online Services tab of the home page of the Board website to update their own address and email address online by logging into your account using our User ID and Password.
In order for the Board to change a name in the system you must submit to the Board the Name and Address Change Request Form along with a copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order. A copy of your driver’s license or social security card is not acceptable.
If you would like a new pocket card printed, please submit your written request and the required fee to the Board. The mailing address is 237 Coliseum Drive, Macon, GA 31217-3858. Once your payment has been processed, you should receive a new license pocket card within 15 business days. You may also print a copy of your license from the website.
The Board does not automatically issue hard copies of license pocket cards. You may print a copy of your license via the Print License link on the homepage of the board website by entering your user ID and password.
If you would like a hard copy of the license pocket card, complete and submit a Form, which can be located under the Application/Form Downloads section of the website, by USPS mail service only along with your license number and the appropriate fee. You should receive your new pocket card generally within 15 business days.
The Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy does not issue letters of good standing. If another licensing authority or employer requires an official statement about the status of a license in this state, the licensee may submit an Online License Verification request via the Quick Link entitled Purchase a Verification of Licensure, which can be found on the home page of the Board website.
Please note that a $35 fee is required before the verification will be issued. The license verification request will be processed and forwarded to the entity you indicated on the online form. If you have multiple licenses and/or you need the license verification sent to multiple locations, you will be required to submit a new order and fee each time.
If you do not have access to a credit or debit card for payment of the fee, you may submit your request by mail using a check or money order. Click here to access, download and print the order form.
O.C.G.A. § 50-13-9.1 Allows for an applicant, a licensee and/or entity to petition the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy to vary (modify) or waive (not apply) all or part of a rule requirement in their particular situation. In order for a rule or portion thereof to be varied or waived, the petitioner must be able to demonstrate strict application of rule can lead to unreasonable, uneconomical, and unintended results in the petitioner’s particular instance. The statute also allows for the Board to grant a variance or waiver when the petitioner can demonstrate that the purpose of the underlying statute upon which the rule is based can be or has been achieved by other specific means which are agreeable to the person seeking the variance or waiver and that strict application of the rule would create a substantial hardship to such person.
If an applicant, a licensee and/or entity desires to make such a petition, you must download and complete a Petition for Rule Variance or Waiver form and submit it along with any supporting documentation to the Board for consideration. You may download the instructions and form by visiting the Application/Form Downloads section on the home page of the Board website.
Please be aware that a failure to properly complete the form and submit the documentation supporting your statements within the petition may result in the denial of the request based on insufficient evidence to substantiate that the application of the rule in your circumstance will cause a hardship.
The petition will be posted for a minimum of 15 days on the GeorgiaNet Public Registry and petitioners may conduct a search for their petition. Please note that any member of the public, including interested parties, shall have the opportunity to submit written comments in support of or against proposed variances or waivers prior to the Board decision. The Board has up to 60 days from receipt of the petition to render a decision to either grant or deny the petition. The petitioner will be notified in writing of the Board’s decision and the written statement will include relevant facts and the reasons for the Board’s action.
Please submit any requests to speak and/or submit any topics or items for discussion to the Board office in writing a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the scheduled meeting date to: Georgia Board of Occupational Therapy, 237 Coliseum Drive, Macon, Georgia 31217. If the request or item for discussion is received according to the specified time frame, it will be considered for an agenda item. If the item is not received accordingly, it may be held until the next scheduled in-person meeting of the Board.
***NOTE*** If a request is relative to an incomplete application or complaint case which has not yet been considered by the Board, the request to appear may be tabled until the Board has rendered an initial decision on the complete application or complaint case.
Please review the American Occupational Therapy Association’s website (www.aota.org) for their guidelines and procedures. In addition, review your school’s policy and procedures on providing occupational therapy services to students within the school systems.
This is determined by the facilities policy and the reimbursing agent’s policy. Please review both policies for further information.
Applicants must use the GAPS Applicant Processing Service (Idemia) to obtain a criminal background check.
For more information, download these Instructions for Applicants to Obtain Fingerprints for a Background Check >>>
Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact FAQs
Questions related to OTLC.
The Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact (OT Compact) is an interstate compact, or formal agreement among states, that facilitates interstate practice of occupational therapy.
Under the OTLC, Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs) who are licensed in good standing in a Compact member state may practice in other Compact member states via a “compact privilege,” which is equivalent to a license.
Any OT and OTA license holder who meets all eligibility requirements will be able to purchase a Compact Privilege in a Compact member state or jurisdiction once that member state or jurisdiction is in full compliance with the PT Compact Rules, Policies and Procedures. When a Compact Privilege is issued to an OT or OTA licensee of a member state, he or she will be able to start practicing in the other member states in most cases immediately.
If you have questions or wish to receive updates regarding the OTLC, the work of the OT Compact Commission, or eligibility requirements for Compact Privileges please visit https://otcompact.org/.
On April 23, 2019, Governor Brian P. Kemp signed House Bill 39 into law making the state of Georgia a member of the PTC.
The Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact is not yet operational. In August of 2022 all the current Compact member states convened to establish the governing structure to oversee implementation. After this process is completed, which may take 12-18 months, we expect applications to be available for states to issue Compact privileges.
We expect applications for Compact privileges to open in late 2023 or early 2024. For updates on the status for issuing privileges periodically visit the Compact Privilege to Practice Status Update page.
The requirements for obtaining a Compact Privilege in Georgia will be within Rules Chapter of the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy once the OT Licensure Compact rules and regulations have been established. Continue to monitor the Board website for updates.
Once jurisdictions and territories begin issuing compact privileges, you will be able to visit the OT Licensure Compact website at https://otcompact.org/ to identify the requirements to obtain a privilege to practice in another compact state.
If you are unable to verify a Georgia license for an individual practicing as a OT or OTA in the state of Georgia, you are encouraged to check the OT Licensure Compact website to see if the individual holds a compact privilege. Once compact privileges are being issued, a verification page will be available on that website.