Georgia licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy in the Secretary of State's Professional Licensing Boards Division. Applications are online only, in the GOALS portal; paper applications are returned. Everything below comes from the board's own pages and rules, checked October 18, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the linked pages before you pay.
Check with your board. PT Ticket is a study aid, not clinical or legal guidance. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), CAPTE, the PT Compact Commission or any state board; NPTE and FSBPT are their marks, used here only to name the exam.
Georgia at a glance
Physical therapist (PT)
PT assistant (PTA)
Exam
NPTE-PT (225 questions, 5 hours), $485 to FSBPT
NPTE-PTA (180 questions, 4 hours), $485 to FSBPT
Board fees
$75 examination application + $10 processing fee
$75 + $10 processing fee
Law exam
GA JAM through FSBPT: 80% to pass, $65, four attempts
Same
Background check
Fingerprints through GAPS (Idemia) for the GBI, right after you apply
Same
PT Compact
Member, issuing and accepting privileges. A PT or PTA licensed in another member state can buy a Georgia compact privilege instead of a full license, and a Georgia license held where you live lets you buy privileges in the other member states. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Georgia, step by step
Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division)
Apply in GOALS: the examination application is for anyone never licensed before (or whose other licenses are inactive). The checklist: a signed, notarized application with the fee, official transcripts, license verifications from every state, a background consent form, an affidavit of citizenship and a secure and verifiable document. The fee is $75 plus a $10 processing fee.
Fingerprints right away: immediately after applying, register with the Georgia Applicant Processing Service (GAPS, run by Idemia for the GBI) and complete an electronic fingerprint background check.
NPTE and Georgia law exam: pass the NPTE and the Georgia JAM through FSBPT ($65, 90 minutes, 80% to pass). The board accepts up to four JAM attempts without proof of further study.
Board review: staff review complete applications and may send them to a board meeting (complete at least 15 days before the meeting). Answer deficiency letters within 60 days or the application may be withdrawn. You may not practice until you hold an active license.
Keep it: licenses renew by December 31 of odd-numbered years ($65 PT, $45 PTA). Georgia is a PT Compact member, and privilege holders also take the GA JAM.
Every state licenses physical therapists and PT assistants on the NPTE, with the same passing score everywhere (600 on a 200-800 scale): a CAPTE-accredited degree, your state board's application, then NPTE registration with FSBPT ($485 plus Prometric's sitting fee), which your board approves before FSBPT sends your Authorization to Test. The PT exam is 225 questions in 5 hours and the PTA exam 180 questions in 4 hours, both on fixed dates four times a year; you may test 3 times in 12 months and 6 times in a lifetime (FSBPT NPTE Candidate Handbook). The full walk-through: How to get your PT license.