---
title: O.C.G.A. § 37-3-205. Regulatory and licensing authority.
collection: code
id: 37-3-205
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 37-3-205 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-205
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-205.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-205/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t37-t39-(v28)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=6f93000f_0#page=88
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-204.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-206.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: Effective January 1, 2026.
in_force: true
other_versions:
  - version: Effective until January 1, 2026.
    in_force: false
    md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-205.md?version=until+January+1%2C+2026
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: MENTAL HEALTH / EXAMINATION, TREATMENT, ETC., FOR MENTAL ILLNESS / ADULT RESIDENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES LICENSING
---

# O.C.G.A. § 37-3-205. Regulatory and licensing authority.

(a) The department is authorized and directed to create and promulgate all rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this article no later than January 1, 2025.

(b) The department is further authorized to issue, deny, suspend, or revoke a license or take other enforcement actions against a licensee or applicant as provided in Article 3 of Chapter 2 of this title.

(c) All rules and regulations and any enforcement actions initiated by the department shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 13 of Title 50, the “Georgia Administrative Procedure Act.”

## History

Code 1981, § 37-3-205, enacted by Ga. L. 2022, p. 587, § 1/HB 1069; Ga. L. 2024, p. 382, § 1/HB 1083, effective April 23, 2024; Ga. L. 2025, p. 177, § 3-3/HB 584, effective January 1, 2026.

## Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective April 23, 2024, substituted “January 1, 2025” for “July 1, 2023” at the end of subsection (a).

The 2025 amendment, effective January 1, 2026, rewrote subsection (b), which read: “The department is further authorized to issue, deny, suspend, or revoke licenses or take other enforcement actions against licensees or applicants as provided in Code Section 31-2-8.”

## Delayed Effective Date

Code Section 37-3-205 is set out twice in this Code. This version is effective January 1, 2026. For version effective until January 1, 2026, see the preceding version.