SB 207: Professions and Businesses; a preclearance process in the licensing of individuals with criminal records who make application to or are investigated by certain licensing boards and commissions; create

Georgia licensing boards can currently deny professional licenses because of an applicant's criminal history without much structured process. This bill changes that for boards under the Secretary of State's professional licensing division and for several specific boards, including accountants, chiropractors, massage therapists, real estate appraisers and brokers, and structural pest control operators, plus insurance agents and adjusters regulated by the Insurance Commissioner. Boards would have to show that a felony or a 'covered misdemeanor' (generally one from the past five years, or certain serious ones regardless of age) is directly related to the licensed occupation before denying a license on that basis. Applicants would get written notice of problems, 30 days to respond, and a hearing before a final denial, plus the right to petition a board in advance ('predetermination') for a decision on whether their record would disqualify them. Boards must post their criminal-record policies online and file annual reports with the Secretary of State. The bill also changes firefighter certification rules for first offenders, restricts certain criminal history records held by the Georgia Crime Information Center, revises first offender exoneration procedures, and requires trafficking-victim sentence-vacating petitions to be filed under seal. Most of the licensing provisions take effect July 1, 2027, for applications filed on or after that date; the rest take effect July 1, 2026.

• Requires professional licensing boards to prove that a felony or 'covered misdemeanor' directly relates to the licensed occupation before refusing or revoking a license based on it.
• Gives applicants facing denial written notice of the specific criminal-record issues, 30 days to respond, and a right to a hearing before a final decision.
• Creates a 'predetermination' process letting people, including those still incarcerated, ask a board in advance whether their criminal record would block them from a license.
• Requires boards to post their criminal-record licensing standards on their websites and file annual reports on applications, denials, and predeterminations with the Secretary of State.
• Lets local fire chiefs certify and employ as firefighters people who completed first offender sentences for a felony, at the fire council's discretion.
• Restricts certain criminal history records kept by the Georgia Crime Information Center and revises the process for first offender exoneration and for sealing trafficking-victim sentence-vacating petitions.

People applying for or holding licenses in fields such as accounting, chiropractic care, cosmetology, massage therapy, real estate appraisal and brokerage, structural pest control, and insurance sales or adjusting, especially those with criminal records. It also affects the licensing boards themselves, the Secretary of State's office, fire departments considering hiring first offenders, and people petitioning courts to vacate trafficking-related sentences.

People with past convictions who want a Georgia occupational license would get a clearer, more predictable path: notice of problems, a chance to respond, a hearing, and even an advance answer before they invest in training. Licensing boards would face new procedural steps, deadlines, and reporting duties before they can deny or revoke a license over a criminal record.

• Section 1-1 defines 'conviction,' 'covered misdemeanor' (generally a misdemeanor from the past five years, or certain listed offenses regardless of age), and 'felony' for use across Title 43 licensing law.
• Section 1-4 requires boards to show it is 'more likely than not' that a criminal record supports denial, consider listed rehabilitation factors, and issue written findings signed by the board's presiding officer within 60 days.
• Section 1-4 also creates a predetermination petition process (subsection (q)(5)) letting individuals, including incarcerated people, ask a board in advance whether their record would disqualify them, with a hearing required within 60 days if the board leans toward denial.
• Section 1-4 requires boards to post their criminal-record standards online and file annual reports with the Secretary of State by March 31 on applications, denials, and predetermination outcomes.
• Sections 2-1 through 2-8 add similar predetermination processes and direct-relationship standards for accountants, chiropractors, massage therapists, real estate appraisers and brokers, and structural pest control operators.
• Part III (Sections 3-1) creates parallel predetermination processes for insurance agents, agencies, and public adjusters licensed through the Insurance Commissioner.
• Part IV (Section 4-1) allows local fire councils discretion to certify and employ as firefighters people who completed a first offender sentence for a felony.
• Part VI sets most licensing provisions (Parts I-IV) to take effect July 1, 2027 for applications filed on or after that date, with other parts effective July 1, 2026.

1. 2026-05-12Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-12Act 628
3. 2026-05-12Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2026-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2026-04-02Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
6. 2026-03-31House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub As Amended (House)
7. 2025-04-04Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub As Amended (Senate)
8. 2025-04-04House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)

• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)Primary sponsor
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-001)
• Ed Setzler (R, SD-037)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Tyler Smith (R, HD-018)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2025

   55 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 0 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #178

2. PassedHouse voteApril 4, 2025

   170 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 9 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #433

3. PassedSenate voteApril 4, 2025

   52 yea, 1 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)

   Agree To House Amendment To Senate Amendment: Senate Vote #487

4. PassedSenate voteApril 4, 2025

   53 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)

   Agree To House Substitute As Amended: Senate Vote #488

5. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2026

   160 yea, 3 nay (4 not voting, 9 absent)

   Agree To Sam To Hsub As Ham: House Vote #829

6. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2026

   50 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 3 absent)

   Agree To House Amendment To Senate Amendment To House Substitute: Senate Vote #946

• occupational licensing
• criminal record reform
• professional licensing boards
• first offender law
• insurance licensing