* Timelines are estimates. Check the relevant board or compact for current processing times.
State registration program
Georgia offers a registration pathway for out-of-state providers as an alternative to full state licensure.
Georgia Telemedicine License
Georgia Composite Medical Board issues a telemedicine license for out-of-state physicians to treat Georgia patients via telehealth (SB 115). Simpler than full Georgia medical licensure. Cannot be used for in-person care except emergencies. Requires professional liability insurance.
Georgia participates in 5 interstate compacts. If you hold a qualifying license in another member state, you can start practicing in Georgia via compact privilege — often faster and cheaper than full state licensure.
Fee: Compact privilege fee varies by state (check compact website for current portal) · Timeline: Varies — compact in early implementation
Requirements: Must hold a professional counseling license in a member state.
3 Consent
What the patient must agree to before a telehealth visit.
⚖️ Reference information — not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with your compliance officer, state licensing board, or a telehealth attorney before relying on this for clinical or business decisions.
Georgia requires informed consent prior to telehealth services. Georgia is a one-party consent state for recording. Audio-only acceptance is limited and clinically context-dependent.
What providers can and cannot prescribe via telehealth, including DEA-restricted substances.
⚖️ Reference information — not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with your compliance officer, state licensing board, or a telehealth attorney before relying on this for clinical or business decisions.
Georgia generally requires in-person evaluation for Schedule II controlled substance prescribing via telehealth. Other schedules follow DEA rules with state board oversight.
State-board-specific standard-of-care, recordkeeping, and technology requirements per credential.
⚖️ Reference information — not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with your compliance officer, state licensing board, or a telehealth attorney before relying on this for clinical or business decisions.
MD / DO
Georgia Composite Medical Board enforces telehealth standard of care equivalent to in-person evaluation.
HIPAA, BAA, audio-only acceptance, and session-recording rules.
⚖️ Reference information — not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with your compliance officer, state licensing board, or a telehealth attorney before relying on this for clinical or business decisions.
Federal baseline: HIPAA-compliant platform with a signed Business Associate Agreement is required for telehealth. As of February 2026, CMS requires providers to re-verify patient location at every visit. Audio-only telehealth is broadly accepted under federal rules but some states impose stricter requirements (see Consent section for Georgia-specific rules).
What Happens If You Practice Without Authorization
Licensing board action
Treating a patient in Georgia without proper authorization can result in a complaint to your licensing board — in your home state, Georgia, or both. Outcomes range from a warning letter to license suspension.
Insurance claim denial
Payers may deny or claw back reimbursement for sessions where the provider lacked authorization in the patient’s state at the time of service. A signed compliance record gives you a clear answer if a claim is reviewed.
Malpractice coverage gap
Your malpractice policy may exclude coverage for care delivered in a state where you weren’t authorized to practice. If something goes wrong in that session, you could be uninsured.
Know exactly when you can treat a Georgia patient — in real time, every session.
Your license covers where you are. It doesn't cover where your patient is. TeleVerify verifies your provider-to-patient state match before every telehealth session and produces a cryptographically signed compliance record you can show an auditor, insurer, or state board.
✓ Works with Zoom, Doxy.me, SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Jane App — or any other telehealth platform (video or phone)
✓ Tracks all interstate compacts and state-specific registration pathways — auto-updates when rules change
✓ Signed, tamper-evident compliance record for every visit
Frequently asked: telehealth compliance in Georgia
Can I practice telehealth in Georgia without a Georgia license?
In Georgia, providers must hold a valid license in the state where the patient is physically located during the session. Holding a license in another state does not authorize you to treat patients located in Georgia unless you qualify under an interstate compact or a state-specific telehealth registration pathway.
What interstate compacts does Georgia participate in?
Georgia is a member of the following interstate compacts: IMLC, PSYPACT, NLC, PT_COMPACT, COUNSELING_COMPACT. Providers with valid privileges under these compacts can practice in Georgia without obtaining a separate Georgia license, subject to active enrollment and good standing.
What are the patient consent requirements for telehealth in Georgia?
Georgia requires informed consent prior to telehealth services. Georgia is a one-party consent state for recording. Audio-only acceptance is limited and clinically context-dependent.
Can I prescribe controlled substances via telehealth in Georgia?
Georgia generally requires in-person evaluation for Schedule II controlled substance prescribing via telehealth. Other schedules follow DEA rules with state board oversight.
What are the professional board standards for telehealth in Georgia?
For MD/DO: Georgia Composite Medical Board enforces telehealth standard of care equivalent to in-person evaluation. For PsyD/PhD: Georgia Board of Examiners of Psychologists applies in-person standard to telepsychology practice. For LCSW/LMFT/LPCC: Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists oversees behavioral-health telehealth.
What technology and privacy requirements apply to telehealth sessions in Georgia?
Telehealth sessions in Georgia must use HIPAA-compliant video or audio platforms with a signed Business Associate Agreement. Patient location must be verified at the time of each session, since licensure compliance depends on it. Session recording and audio-only acceptability follow state-specific rules (Georgia recording rule: one party consent).