Georgia Chiropractic Licensing for Out-of-State DCs

Georgia licenses chiropractors from other states by endorsement, without a new full exam, under Board Rule 100-2-.07 of the Georgia Board of Chiropractic Examiners. The core conditions are three years of active practice, good standing in every state where you hold a license, proof that you passed the NBCE parts that were available when you graduated or that your first state required, and a signed affidavit that you have read Georgia's chiropractic laws and rules. The board may also require SPEC, passed no more than 24 months before you apply, and may call you in for an interview.

What does Rule 100-2-.07 require?

The rule, as published by Cornell's Legal Information Institute, lets the board license by endorsement a chiropractor whose license was obtained by examination in another state or U.S. territory. The conditions:

• Never failed the Georgia Practical Examination. An applicant who did will not be considered for endorsement.
• Good standing everywhere. You must be licensed in good standing in all states where you hold a license, and each of those boards sends certification of good standing directly to Georgia.
• Three years of active practice.
• NBCE parts. Evidence that you passed all parts of the NBCE exam available when you graduated, or the parts required by the state where you were first licensed and practiced for at least three years, with evidence of that state's requirement.
• A laws-and-rules affidavit, signed, stating that you have read and understand Georgia's chiropractic laws and rules and will be subject to them.
• SPEC, at the board's discretion, passed no earlier than 24 months before the application date.
• No violations and no open matters. No act that would violate Georgia's chiropractic laws and rules, and no pending or unresolved disciplinary action or malpractice judgment in any state or territory.
• A personal interview, if the board asks.
• The fees set in Board Rule 100-11-.01.

Which NBCE parts will Georgia expect?

The NBCE condition is flexible on purpose. A chiropractor who graduated before Part IV existed is measured against the parts available at graduation, or against what the first licensing state required. For applicants taking the regular exam route, Board Rule 100-3-.02 requires Parts I, II, III and IV for anyone applying after January 1, 1998. If your score report and your graduation year do not line up neatly, gather proof of what your first state required at the time; the rule puts that burden on the applicant.

When will Georgia ask for SPEC?

The rule leaves SPEC to the board's discretion and does not list the triggers. What it does fix is the timing: if SPEC is required, the passing result must be no more than 24 months old when you apply. An older SPEC score from another state's application will not count. Our SPEC guide covers the exam.

Can I start working before the license issues?

Georgia has a temporary license in Board Rule 100-16-.01, but it is supervised and tied to a regular application. The board may issue one, at its discretion and without examination, if you file it together with an application for regular licensure and include:

• certification of good standing from every state where you hold a license, with the state where you passed your licensing exam having the same or similar requirements as Georgia;
• a board-approved request from a Georgia-licensed chiropractor who agrees to supervise and direct you; and
• the temporary license fee.

Supervision means the supervising chiropractor is physically present on the premises and available at all times. Anyone who previously failed the Georgia licensing exam is not eligible. Georgia also has a separate visiting-practice rule, Chapter 100-13, for chiropractors traveling with a sports or performing arts group; that one is covered in travel-to-treat and temporary permits.

Which practice rules apply once you are licensed in Georgia?

• Renewal. Licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years and renew every two years (Rule 100-2-.02). Renewals received within 90 days after the deadline are late renewals with a penalty fee.
• Continuing education. Rule 100-5-.01 requires at least 20 hours of board-approved CE per year. Practice-building and practice-management courses do not count, and you keep certificates for four years. You are exempt in the calendar year you are first licensed.
• Electrical modalities. Georgia ties the use of electrical therapeutic modalities to 120 hours of instruction under O.C.G.A. § 43-9-16 and Board Rule 100-9-.01. If you use them, have your training documented before you start.
• Assistants. Board Rule 100-15-.01 lets unlicensed assistants help under a chiropractor's direct order and direct supervision, with the chiropractor physically present in the office. Only a licensed chiropractor may adjust.
• Address changes go to the board within 15 days (Rule 100-2-.02).

Which documents does White Glove prepare?

For a Georgia endorsement we collect good-standing certifications from every state you hold, document your NBCE history against your graduation year or first state's rule, prepare the affidavit, and plan SPEC timing if the board asks for it. License by Endorsement is $499; SPEC Exam Pathway Support is $299 one-time. Board and NBCE fees are separate, and the board decides. If you are unsure whether your three years and your exam history qualify, the $149 Chiropractic Licensure Readiness Review answers that before you pay any board fee. See our Georgia page and the state index.