To transfer your CNA license to Georgia, you apply for reciprocity through Alliant Health Solutions, which manages the state’s Nurse Aide Registry. There is no fee. You’ll need to show that your out-of-state credential is active and unencumbered and that you’ve worked as a CNA for pay within the last two years. Most applicants who have their paperwork in order are added to the Georgia registry within about two weeks of submitting online.
Who Qualifies for Reciprocity
Georgia will only add you to its registry by reciprocity if two things are true.
Your current CNA credential has to be active and unencumbered. That means no disciplinary actions and no substantiated findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of resident property on any state registry where you’ve ever been listed. Georgia verifies your status directly with your previous state, so anything in your record surfaces during processing.
You also have to show recent work. Federal rules require states to remove nurse aides from the registry after 24 consecutive months without qualifying work, and Georgia applies that same standard at the point of transfer. You need to have worked at least eight hours as a CNA, for pay, under registered nurse supervision within the two years before you apply. If you’re close to the 24-month mark, transferring before the clock runs out matters. Once your credential lapses under that rule, you no longer have something to transfer, and you’re looking at retesting or retraining instead.
Documents to Gather
Have all of this ready before you open the application:
- The Application for Nurse Aide Registry Listing by Reciprocity, available through the Nurse Aide Program Self-Service Portal or the GAMMIS portal.
- An unexpired government-issued photo ID that shows your photograph and signature.
- A signed copy of your Social Security card.
- Proof of your current CNA status — a registry printout or certification document from your previous state.
- Proof of qualifying employment: a pay stub, W-2, or employer letter on company letterhead.
The employment proof is where applications most often stall. A generic reference letter isn’t enough. If you use an employer letter, it has to state your job title, your dates of employment, that you performed CNA duties, and that a registered nurse supervised your work. Missing any one of those pieces and the registry will come back for more.
Georgia charges nothing to add you to the registry. Federal law prohibits states from charging nurse aides for registry services.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 1395i-3 – Requirements for, and Assuring Quality of Care in, Skilled Nursing Facilities Your previous state, though, may charge a verification fee when Georgia contacts them. Fees vary, so ask your current state’s registry if you want to know in advance.
How to Submit the Application
You can apply online or by mail. As of late 2025, Georgia’s registry moved to primarily electronic communication and no longer mails certification cards or most forms, so the portal is the preferred route.2Georgia CareConnect. Certified Nurse/Medication Aides
Applying Online
Log in to the Nurse Aide Program Self-Service Portal and choose the Reciprocity Form. Under the County field for your previous employer, select “OUT OF STATE.” Upload each required document into the matching category. When you submit, a confirmation screen shows your submission ID and you’ll get an email copy. Keep that submission ID; it’s your reference number for any follow-up.
Applying by Mail
Send your complete package to:
Alliant Health Solutions
Attn: Nurse Aide Registry
P.O. Box 105753
Atlanta, GA 30348
Walk-ins aren’t allowed, and faxed applications aren’t accepted.3Alliant Health Solutions. Nurse Aide Program Mailed applications generally take longer to process because of transit time and because paper documents more often arrive incomplete or hard to read.
Processing Time and Working While You Wait
Online applications typically take up to 14 business days to verify.2Georgia CareConnect. Certified Nurse/Medication Aides Part of that window is Georgia contacting your previous state to confirm your credential, which isn’t something the state can speed up.
Requests for additional information come through email and the portal, not the mail. Make sure the personal email address on your application is one you actually check. If you don’t hear anything after 14 business days on an online submission, you can reach Alliant Health Solutions at (678) 527-3010 or (888) 383-5662, Monday through Friday during business hours.3Alliant Health Solutions. Nurse Aide Program
Can you start working in Georgia while your application is pending? The registry’s public materials don’t address it directly. In practice, most employers won’t schedule you until your name shows up on the Georgia registry, because federal rules require facilities to verify registry status before using someone as a nurse aide. Talk to your prospective employer early and plan for a gap between when you apply and when you can start.
Keeping Your Georgia Certification Active
Once you’re on the registry, your certification renews every two years. Renewal is free.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 1395i-3 – Requirements for, and Assuring Quality of Care in, Skilled Nursing Facilities To renew, you have to have worked at least eight hours for pay as a CNA under the supervision of a licensed nurse (RN or LPN) within a continuous 24-month period since your most recent certification or recertification. You’ll provide the same kind of proof you used to transfer in: a pay stub, W-2, or employer letter.
Keep your contact information current. Report any change to your mailing address, phone number, or email within 10 business days using the Change of Personal Information Form on the Nurse Aide Program portal.2Georgia CareConnect. Certified Nurse/Medication Aides With the registry now communicating almost entirely by email and portal, an outdated address is how people miss renewal notices.
What a Lapse or a Prior Finding Means
Two situations will block a reciprocity transfer.
If your out-of-state credential has already lapsed because you went 24 consecutive months without qualifying work, you can’t transfer it; federal rules require every state to remove nurse aides from the registry at that point.4eCFR. 42 CFR 483.156 – Registry of Nurse Aides Depending on how long you’ve been inactive, getting back on a registry generally means retaking the competency evaluation and possibly completing a new training program.
A substantiated finding of resident abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property on any state registry also blocks reciprocity. Federal law requires those findings to stay on the registry permanently, and Georgia checks every state where you’ve been listed.4eCFR. 42 CFR 483.156 – Registry of Nurse Aides If you believe a finding was entered in error, the registry must include any written statement you submit disputing it, but the finding itself can only be removed if a state determines it was entered in error or a court of law finds you not guilty.