HB107: HB107 Professions and businesses; issuance of digitally verifiable licenses for certain military spouses and transitioning military service members; provide

Georgia law already allows military spouses and transitioning service members to get expedited or temporary professional licenses in certain fields. This bill adds a new requirement that professional licensing boards and other boards create a way to issue these licenses in a digital, electronically verifiable format, in addition to traditional paper licenses. The bill defines a 'digitally verifiable license' as one that can be accessed electronically, carries a digital signature, can be mathematically verified, and counts as equivalent to a physical license. Every existing professional licensing board and other board must adopt rules implementing this digital licensing process by July 1, 2026, covering all license types they issue, including temporary licenses, licenses by endorsement, and expedited licenses. People can still request a physical license instead of or alongside the digital one. Any new licensing board created after June 30, 2026 has one year from its creation to adopt these rules.

• Requires all Georgia professional licensing boards and other boards to adopt rules for issuing digitally verifiable licenses by July 1, 2026.
• Defines a digitally verifiable license as one accessible electronically, digitally signed, mathematically verifiable, and legally equivalent to a physical license.
• Applies the digital licensing requirement to spouses of service members, spouses of transitioning service members, and transitioning service members themselves.
• Covers all license types a board issues, including temporary licenses, licenses by endorsement, and expedited licenses.
• Requires boards to let applicants request a physical license instead of or in addition to the digital version.
• Gives any licensing board created after June 30, 2026 one year from its creation to adopt these same rules.

Military spouses, spouses of transitioning service members, and transitioning service members seeking professional licenses in Georgia, as well as the state's professional licensing boards and other boards, which must build new digital licensing systems and rules.

Military families who move frequently often face delays getting professional licenses recognized in a new state. A digital, instantly verifiable license could let these spouses and transitioning service members prove their credentials faster to employers, without waiting on mailed paperwork.

• New Code Section 43-1-37 defines 'digitally verifiable license,' incorporating existing definitions of 'license,' 'service member,' and 'transitioning service member' from O.C.G.A. § 43-1-34 and § 43-1-35.
• Subsection (b) sets a July 1, 2026 deadline for all professional licensing boards and other boards to adopt rules for issuing digitally verifiable licenses.
• Subsection (b) requires the digital licensing option to cover every type of license a board issues, including temporary, endorsement, and expedited licenses.
• Subsection (b) requires boards to create a process for issuing a physical license upon request instead of or alongside the digital one.
• Subsection (c) requires any board created after June 30, 2026 to adopt the same rules within one year of its creation.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-02-04House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
3. 2025-01-28House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-01-27House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-01-17House Hopper (House)

• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)Primary sponsor
• Josh Bonner (R, HD-073)
• David Clark (R, HD-100)
• Todd Jones (R, HD-025)
• Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)
• Karen Mathiak (R, HD-082)

• military spouse licensing
• professional licensing
• digital licenses
• occupational regulation