Georgia APRN License Renewal
In order to practice as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Georgia, such as a nurse practitioner (NP) or nurse-midwife (NM), it is essential to hold a valid APRN license. Obtaining this essential licensure credential is an involved process, one in which it is critical for APRNs to ensure strict compliance with all applicable state laws, rules, and regulations. As an alternative to obtaining an APRN license in Georgia, Georgia APRNs may be qualified to hold a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) privilege.
APRN licensure is granted by the Georgia Board of Nursing (GBN), which is currently governed by the Nurse Practice Act of the State of Georgia (GA-NPA). Licensure is issued by the GBN only to individuals who meet all applicable requirements, including those set forth in Georgia Rule 410-23-.03, "APRN Licensure by Georgia Licensed Registered Nurses." As a general rule , APRN licensure can only be obtained by those who already hold an RN license in Georgia. In addition to holding a valid RN license (or an NLC privilege), in order to be eligible for an APRN license, applicants must also:
In addition to all of the aforementioned requirements for APRN licensure, Georgia law also requires that APRN candidates undergo criminal background checks. Thus, this will entail submitting an application and fingerprinting fee through the GBN-approved agency, completing the required fingerprint card(s), and submitting them to the Georgia Criminal Information Center (GCIC).
Overall, the process of obtaining APRN licensure is generally quite involved. For this reason, if you are unsure if you meet all of the licensure requirements of Georgia Rule 410-23-.03, or how to best prepare and submit an APRN licensure application to the GBN, it is always recommended to seek the advice and counsel of an experienced GA APRN licensure attorney.
Who’s Eligible for License Renewal?
To be eligible for license renewal in Georgia, APRNs must meet the following requirements: Under Georgia rules regarding continuing education, APRNs are required to obtain at least 30 hours of continuing education each two years as noted above. Of those 30 hours, six hours must be related to pharmacotherapeutics and six hours must be in the area of Georgia Laws and Rules relevant to Advanced Practice Registered Nursing. Completion of these requirements is the responsibility of the licensed APRN. However, if you are employed in a large health system, we generally advise that the nursing or administrative staff will complete this requirement on your behalf and your APRN license will not expire due to failure to complete the course requirements. But remember that your board certification must be maintained with the ANCC or AANP, so plan accordingly.
Except for new graduates, licensure as an APRN in Georgia requires at least 1000 hours of active practice in the immediate preceding 24 months. You must maintain documentation showing that you have met the 1000-hour practice requirement and ensure that your supervising physician or podiatrist has also completed his or her 20 unit CME requirement in the past two years. If you are being supervised by more than one supervisor, the 1000-hour practice requirement can be met based on the aggregate hours of practice supervised by each of your supervisory physicians as long as it does not exceed 10 percent of your practicing time in each area of practice.
How to Renew Your APRN License
The steps for renewing your Georgia APRN license differ somewhat depending on whether the license is currently active or inactive. An Overview of each process is as follows:
For Active Licenses:
Georgia law requires that renewal of an APRN license in active status must be requested every two years during the birth month. The renewal fee is $75. The completed license renewal application, which is available from the Board’s website, should be submitted online to the Board along with the renewal fee. APRNs must also complete at least thirty (30) hours of approved continuing education (CE) during the previous two-year period. The CE must be related to the APRN’s practice role and population focus and should include the following:
The Board may also require that the APRN submit proof of current national certification as part of the renewal process. If in doubt, contact the Georgia Board of Nursing to verify national certification requirements for a specific APRN license at (404) 975-5020.
Additional information is available from the Board at their website.
For Inactive Licenses:
For APRNs who permit their license to lapse for any reason, the Board requires that the individual complete and pay the appropriate late renewal fee within five years of the license expiration. In accordance with O.C.G.A. ยง 43-1-34(d), such individuals must complete 30 hours of acceptable continuing education and submit proof of current certification by a Board-approved national certifying organization. Further, APRNs must also submit proof of current professional liability insurance.
APRN License Renewal Deadlines & Cycles
The Georgia APRN license renewal cycle occurs every two years and can be found at the Georgia secretary of state’s website for on-line renewal. Renewal is time sensitive, and those APRNs who work in Georgia should factor license renewal into their plans every two years.
APRN licenses in Georgia expired on September 30th. If you have missed the date, you may still be able to renew. You must contact the Georgia Board of Nursing to find out how.
Typically, April 1st is the deadline for renewing licenses that have the expiration date of May 15th. October 1st is a typical deadline to renew for those with the May 31st expiration date. For some reason, the APRN license renewals in Georgia are on different dates than other active nursing licenses. The plateaus to practice act site, which tracks APRN license status, shows all licenses issued, but there is no indication as to whether the license is active or inactive. It is possible that some APRNs who are currently showing as inactive on the plateau to practice site, are not officially inactive with the Georgia Board of Nursing. To verify whether you are actively licensed to practice in Georgia, the APRN must be verified, and the Georgia APRN license database is listed and easily searched on the Georgia Board of Nursing site.
Common APRN License Renewal Issues
The subsequent license renewal process is a complicated and procedural minefield. Finding someone who can clear a path through that minefield is difficult, if not impossible. This section of the articles highlights some of the typical obstacles APRNs face during the renewal process. Many APRNs fail to remember – or understand – the difference between an APRN license expiration and an APRN APRN license expiration. In fact, it is possible to have a current and active license which must be renewed, yet still not work as an APRN until the APRN license has been renewed.
Does this sound familiar? "Will you charge me before I have my complete license? I was told by my renewal person that my renewal was completed and active, but would not let me work as an APRN until I had an APRN renewal." While a completed renewal is the first step – except in the odd case where it must be submitted with fingerprints, which are required only for first time applicants – renewal is not complete until the second step is completed, and that is the issuance of the APRN renewal.
Last year, the Georgia Composite Medical Board put a clearer system into place in an attempt to remedy many of the problems associated with the renewal process not being completed in time for the renewal date . Under the old system, licenses would expire, and then the licensee had to pay a penalty for each month that passed before the renewal was completed. With the Board’s new system, licenses do not lapse, but start working under a waiver system that allows the licensee to work for 120 days while the renewal is being processed.
What does this means in practice? It means that time is of the essence. Since the APRN renewal must be completed (not the renewal application) within 120 days, there should be no delay in getting an application in on time. At least one to two weeks should be allowed for completion and submission of the renewal application.
Failure to keep your Georgia APRN license renewed and active will mean you will have to file and complete an APRN By-Pass (Filed by Commission) in order to get up-to-date with the Georgia Board without a lapse in your renewal. This will also add a delay to having a completed renewal of 30 days – at a minimum – while you wait for a decision as to whether the Board will grant your APRN By-Pass request. The Board may grant your by-pass, or they may force you complete a reinstatement application, in which case you will be required to complete a reinstatement application to bring your license up-to-date.
Failure to Renew Your APRN License On Time
As the title of this post notes, there are negative consequences if you do not renew your Georgia APRN license on time. First of all, your license will expire. When that happens, you still have a grace period of 30 days to pay the late fee and reinstate your license (and pay the late fee), but now you are considered "inactive." Practically, this means you can’t practice. Additionally, if you have not changed your name for any reason since that last renewal, you must provide proof of your legal name change. And, finally, with regard to continuing education requirements, CEs earned during the period in which the license was expired cannot count toward your CE requirement, so you will need to satisfy that requirement when you do decide to get licensed again.
As a Practical Matter, an expired license means that you do not have an active license to practice. More specifically, you may be precluded from billing for services you provided while your license was lapsed. The Georgia APRN Board has the requisite authority to penalize you for practicing on an expired license. Penalizing a nurse may include issuing a fine, and revocation or suspension of the license. In terms of civil liability, the published decisions show that the Board will prosecute nurses who have billed for care performed while their license is lapsed. In cases of egregious behavior, where you are clinically incompetent and put patients at risk, the outcome can be dismissal from practice as well as professional discipline by the Board.
Helpful Resources for APRN License Renewal
As part of our continuing efforts to provide Georgia APRNs with the most up to date information regarding APRN license renewals, we present this list of resources and contacts for APRNs seeking assistance in navigating the renewal process . This list includes key professional organizations, online tools and customer service contacts that every Georgia APRN should know about. Should you or your employer wish to seek more formal legal assistance, we encourage you to contact one of the attorneys listed at the top of this article.