As a psychologist, it’s important (and difficult!) to keep up with the requirements for licensure. As we are starting the 2025-2026 period, let’s review the standards for continuing education (CE) requirements over the next two years. The Board made some major, positive changes to the requirements in the State of Georgia!
Here’s a summary of the Georgia Board of Psychology CE requirements for licensure renewal. Of course, feel free to fact check all of this online under the Board Rules.
As a reminder, licensed psychologists are required to earn 40 CE credits over the two years before license renewal.
Changes from Previous Years
The CE categories have been totally revamped. Last cycle, there were 5 categories, and now there are only 3 areas. It is much simpler.
Some requirements for CEs having to be in-person have been dropped, which is extremely helpful (and keeping up with the times!).
The ethics credit (6 hours required), which previously had to be completed in-person, can now also be completed virtually synchronously (i.e., you cannot just watch a previously recorded video).
One hour of an approved activity is now equivalent to one CE (in comparison to previously one day at a conference equaling one CE credit).
Make sure to review the “areas,” because you could potentially earn 100 hours in one area but not actually be meeting the requirements for renewal.
CE Categories
Area I (Academic) includes teaching a graduate or undergraduate psychology course for the first time, publishing as first or second author in a peer-reviewed journal, or passing a graduate-level psychology course. You can earn a maximum of 20 credit hours in this area.
Area II (Ongoing Group Consultation) includes clinical or research-focused groups that meet regularly, have a structure, and are either in-person or synchronous (virtual). The group has to have between 3-8 psychologists present. There is a minimum of 10 credits and a maximum of 20 for this category, meaning that you must attend at least 10 hour-long group meetings within the two years.
Area III (Approved Sponsored Continuing Education) includes any CE course that is either live, synchronous (virtual), or asynchronous (e.g., watching a video). It must be approved by a sponsor such as the American Psychological Association (APA) or Continuing Medical Education (CME) and you have to receive a certificate. [Note: I checked all of my CE courses from the past year and they were approved by the APA.] There is a maximum of 40 (i.e., all of them) credits in this area.
Additional Tips
Don’t forget to include the 6 ethics hours in the above categories!
If you become board certified (i.e., ABPP) you meet all the requirements for the full biennium (i.e., 2 years). Might want to start that now because it takes a long time.
Supervisors have additional requirements to meet (Please review the Board Rules).
PSYPACT certified providers also have specific CEs that are required.
As a first-time licensee, depending on the time of year, you may be required to complete either no or less than 40 credits.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to the Georgia State Board of Examiners of Psychologists for making it so that we can use our CEs from national/worldwide experts and dropping requirements for being in-person (which is very hard when you’re navigating Atlanta traffic!).
Save this post, pass it along to your psychologist friends, and review it in December 2026... (Joking - please get your CEs done before then!)
Posted on 1/2/25. I will update if there are any changes over the next two years.