Become a Nurse in Georgia – Licensure & Requirements

Whether a master's degree is required for each credential above is set by the Rules of Georgia Board of Nursing: the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse regulations govern the four APRN credentials shown, and the RN/LPN licensure-by-examination rules govern the registered nurse and licensed practical nurse credentials.

Georgia Nursing Salaries

^{Nurse salaries above — state-wide and for the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Augusta-Richmond County, and Savannah metropolitan areas — were retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.}

There are many paths to becoming a nurse in Georgia. The path you take will mostly depend upon the type of nurse you’d like to become and your current or prospective level of education. The higher your level of education, the more opportunities you’ll have to choose where and how you pursue your career in nursing.

In addition to nursing salaries in Georgia, you’ll find information on acquiring and maintaining several types of Georgia nursing licensure. We’re constantly making updates, but with the speed of change in the healthcare sphere it’s difficult to stay current.If you have any comments or suggestions for our information on nursing in Georgia, please email us at info@nursinglicensemap.com!

Compact State Status

Georgia is a Nursing Licensure Compact state as of September 2026.

Under the compact, a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) who holds a valid multistate license issued by another Compact state may practice in that RN or LPN capacity in Georgia without obtaining an additional Georgia license, per the Georgia Secretary of State's Nurse Licensure Compact page. This multistate privilege does not itself grant Georgia APRN authorization, which advanced practice nurses must obtain separately under the Board's APRN licensing guidance.

Prescriptive Authority in Georgia

According to the Georgia Composite Medical Board – APRN Information Summary, advanced practice registered nurses may apply for prescriptive authority for Schedule III-V controlled substances in collaboration with a physician. Following a 2024 change in state law (HB 557), APRNs meeting additional conditions may also issue an initial prescription for hydrocodone, oxycodone, or compounds thereof — limited to emergency situations, a maximum five-day supply, and at least one year of post-licensure clinical experience in good standing — after completing a biennial one-hour continuing education course on appropriate ordering and use. This Schedule II authority is narrower than, and does not replace, the standing Schedule III-V framework above.

Nurse Practitioner in Georgia

APRNs in Georgia include: certified nurse-midwife (CNM), nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric/mental health (CNS/PMH).

Education: Master’s degree or higher in nursing in a nurse practitioner specialty or graduate level post-master’s certificate in an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) specialty and advanced pharmacology, advanced physical assessment, and pathophysiology coursework.

Examination: Varies for Different Certifications

Certification Required: National Certification in Specialty Area

Fees:

• $75 APRN Authorization Application Fee
• Certification Examination Fee (Varies for Different Certifications)

Renewal: Renewal fee of $65 for registered nurses (RNs) and $65 for each advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) authorization. Nurse practitioner license renewals coincide with renewal of registered nurse renewals.

Additional Information: An active Georgia registered nurse license is required for application.

Learn more on how to become a nurse practitioner.

Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) in Georgia

Education: Master’s degree or higher in nursing with a concentration in nurse-midwifery and evidence of advanced pharmacology within the curriculum.

Examination: American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) Certification Exam

Certification Required: AMCB Certification

Fees:

• $75 APRN Authorization Application Fee
• $425 for AMCB Examination (per the American Midwifery Certification Board's Certification Fee Schedule)

Renewal: Renewal fee of $65 for registered nurses (RNs) and $65 for each advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) authorization. Certified nurse-midwife licenses expire on January 31st of odd-numbered years.

Additional Information: An active Georgia registered nurse license is required for application.

Learn more on how to become a certified nurse midwife.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in Georgia

Education: Master’s degree or higher in nursing with a concentration in anesthesia and evidence of advanced pharmacology course, except that Georgia Rule 410-11 preserves an alternate pathway for applicants who completed an approved nurse-anesthesia education program before January 1, 1999.

Examination: National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) Certification Exam

Certification Required: NBCRNA Certification

Fees:

• $75 APRN Authorization Application Fee
• $1,310 for National Certification Exam (includes a $160 Maintaining Anesthesia Certification (MAC) Check enrollment fee) (per the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists' 2026 Fee Schedule)

Renewal: CRNA renewals coincide with registered nurse license renewals. CRNA authorizations to practice expire on January 31st of odd-numbered years.

Additional Information: An active Georgia registered nurse license is required for application.

Learn more on how to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in Georgia

Education: Master’s degree or higher in nursing with specialization as a clinical nurse specialist with evidence of advanced pharmacology, advanced physical assessment, and advanced pathophysiology within the curriculum or separate coursework.

Examination: American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or Georgia-approved national certifying body

Certification Required: National Certification from ANCC or other approved national certifying body.

Fees: $75 APRN Authorization Application Fee

Renewal: CNS renewals coincide with registered nurse license renewals.

Additional Information: An active Georgia registered nurse license is required for application.

Learn more on how to become a clinical nurse specialist.

Clinical Nurse Specialist, Psychiatric/Mental Health (CNS/PMH) in Georgia

Education: Master’s degree or higher in nursing with specialization in psychiatric./mental health nursing with a minimum of two graduate courses in psychiatric/mental health nursing with supervised practice and evidence of advanced pharmacology within the curriculum or separate course.

Examination:National certification in psychiatric/mental health nursing from ANCC or another Georgia-approved national certifying body. ANCC's original Clinical Nurse Specialist in Psychiatric/Mental Health exam is no longer offered to new candidates and is available for renewal only to nurses who already hold it; prospective applicants should confirm current certification pathways directly with the Board and the certifying body. See the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health CNS certification renewal page for current certification status.

Certification Required: National Certification from ANCC or another approved national certifying body

Fees: $75 APRN Authorization Application Fee

Renewal: CNS renewals coincide with registered nurse license renewals.

Additional Information: An active Georgia registered nurse license is required for application.

Information Disclosure:

^{Information for APRNs in Georgia, including nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife (CNM), certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric/mental health (CNS/PMH) was retrieved from the Rules of Georgia Board of Nursing – Regulation of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. APRN fee amounts were confirmed against the Georgia Secretary of State's GOALS Fee Schedules by Board tool (Profession Type: Nursing), which lists the $75 application fee under "Initial Licensure" and a separate $90 fee under "Reinstatement" for each Advanced Practice license type (NP, CNM, CRNA, CNS, and CNS/PMH). Per the Georgia Secretary of State's FAQs for Nursing, applications are typically reviewed within fifteen business days of the Board's receipt of all required documents; applications involving prior criminal or disciplinary history may take longer.}

Registered Nurse (RN) in Georgia

Education: Completion of an approved nursing education program.

Examination: NCLEX-RN

Fees:

• $40 Application Fee
• $75 Application Fee by Endorsement
• $200 Examination Fee (increasing to $350 effective February 1, 2027, per NCLEX's official fee schedule)

Endorsement: Individuals licensed as a registered nurse in another state who can provide proof of 500 hours of licensed practice within the four years immediately preceding the date of application or proof of graduation from an approved nursing education program within four years or completion of a Georgia Board of Nursing approved reentry program may be qualified for licensure as a registered nurse by endorsement.

Renewal: RN licenses expire on January 31st of even- or odd-numbered years. Renewal fee of $65 for registered nurses.

Learn more on how to become a registered nurse.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Georgia

Education: Completion of an Approved Licensed Practical Nurse Program

Examination: NCLEX-PN

Fees:

• $40 Application Fee
• $75 Application Fee by Endorsement
• $200 Examination Fee (increasing to $350 effective February 1, 2027, per NCLEX's official fee schedule)

Endorsement: Individuals licensed as a licensed practical nurse in another state who can provide proof of 500 hours of licensed practice within the four years immediately preceding the date of application or proof of graduation from an approved nursing education program within four years or completion of a Georgia Board of Nursing approved reentry program may be qualified for licensure as a licensed practical nurse by endorsement.

Renewal: LPN licenses expire on March 31st of odd-numbered years. Renewal fee of $65 for licensed practical nurses; this specific LPN renewal amount could not be separately confirmed against the current Board fee schedule this update cycle and should be verified directly with the Board.

Learn more on how to become a licensed practical nurse.

Information Disclosure:

^{Information for registered nurses (RN) and licensed practical nurses (LPN) was retrieved from the Rules of Georgia Board of Nursing. Per the Georgia Secretary of State's FAQs for Nursing, applications are typically reviewed within fifteen business days of the Board's receipt of all required documents; applications involving prior criminal or disciplinary history may take longer.}

Continuing Education & License Renewal in Georgia

Georgia RNs satisfy their biennial (two-year) renewal requirement through one of five Board-recognized options: completing 30 contact hours through a Board-approved continuing education provider; maintaining or recertifying a Board-recognized national certification; completing an accredited academic nursing (or related field) program with a minimum of two credit hours; verifying at least 500 hours of active nursing practice during the renewal period; or completing a Board-approved reentry program or graduating from a nursing education program.

LPNs renew every two years by completing 20 contact hours of continuing education, or by completing an accredited academic program of study in registered nursing.

APRN authorizations (nurse practitioner, CNM, CRNA, CNS, and CNS/PMH) renew alongside the underlying RN license and generally rely on maintaining the credential's own national certification rather than a separate Board-administered CE requirement.

Nurses with DEA registration who prescribe controlled substances should also be aware of the federal MATE Act: most DEA registrants, including many APRNs, must complete a one-time eight-hour training on opioid or substance-use-disorder treatment, affirmed at their next DEA registration or renewal on or after June 27, 2023. This is a federal DEA requirement separate from Georgia Board of Nursing continuing education.

Georgia continuing education requirements above were retrieved from the Georgia Secretary of State's Continuing Education page and Continuing Education Packet. Federal MATE Act training requirements were retrieved from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's MATE Act FAQ.