HB 107: Professions and businesses; issuance of digitally verifiable licenses for certain military spouses and transitioning military service members; provide

Georgia already gives special licensing accommodations to military spouses and transitioning service members under existing law. This bill adds a new requirement that licensing boards issue those licenses in a digitally verifiable format, meaning a license that can be accessed electronically, carries a digital signature, can be mathematically verified, and counts as equal to a physical license. The bill requires every professional licensing board and other board covered by Title 43 (the law governing professions and businesses) to adopt rules by July 1, 2026 setting up a process for issuing these digital licenses, including temporary licenses, licenses by endorsement, and expedited licenses. People can still request a physical license instead of or in addition to the digital one. Any new licensing board created after June 30, 2026 would have one year from its creation to adopt these same rules.

• Creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 43-1-37) defining a 'digitally verifiable license' as one that is electronically accessible, digitally signed, mathematically verifiable, and equal to a physical license.
• Requires all Georgia professional licensing boards and other boards to adopt rules by July 1, 2026 letting military spouses, spouses of transitioning service members, and transitioning service members get digitally verifiable licenses.
• Applies the digital licensing requirement to all license types these boards issue, including temporary licenses, licenses by endorsement, and expedited licenses.
• Requires boards' rules to include a way for a person to get a physical license instead of, or along with, the digital one upon request.
• Gives any licensing board created after June 30, 2026 one year from its creation to adopt the same digital licensing rules.

Military spouses, spouses of transitioning service members, and transitioning service members seeking Georgia professional licenses; and every professional licensing board and other board in Georgia (covering fields from nursing to cosmetology to law) that must build new digital licensing systems.

Military families who move frequently often face delays getting professional licenses recognized in a new state. A digitally verifiable license could let them prove credentials instantly online rather than waiting on paperwork, though boards will need to build new systems to comply by the 2026 deadline.

• Section 1 adds O.C.G.A. § 43-1-37, defining 'digitally verifiable license' and cross-referencing existing definitions of 'license,' 'other board,' 'service member,' 'transitioning service member,' and 'state' from Code Sections 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 creating a digital licensing process for military spouses, spouses of transitioning service members, and transitioning service members.
• Subsection (b) requires the digital licensing option to cover all license types issued, including temporary, endorsement, and expedited licenses, and requires a physical license option upon request.
• Subsection (c) requires any board created after June 30, 2026 to adopt these 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-73)
• David Clark (R, HD-100)
• Todd Jones (R, HD-25)
• Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)
• Karen Mathiak (R, HD-82)

• military spouse licensing
• professional licensing
• digital government services
• veterans and military families