Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) License Requirements in Georgia
- Training hours
- 85 hrs
- Upfront cost
- $130
- Exam
- Written (or Oral) Examination, Skills Evaluation
- Renewal cycle
- Every 2 years
- Issuing board
- Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) — Georgia Nurse Aide Registry
How to get licensed
- 1
Meet the prerequisites
Pass a criminal background check. No official DCH or Georgia Nurse Aide Registry source was found stating a fixed minimum age for registry certification itself — secondary sources conflict (some say 18+, others say no minimum) — so left null rather than guessed; individual training programs may set their own age policy. A criminal history background check is required for direct-care employment at Georgia's Medicaid/Medicare-certified nursing homes and personal care homes, run through the Georgia Criminal History Check System (GCHEXS) against GCIC and FBI databases, though this is enforced at the facility-employment level rather than as a registry-listing precondition. [3]
- 2
Complete approved training
Complete 85 hours of training (including 24 clinical hours) at a state-approved program. 85 total hours covering the Federal/State Core Curriculum (42 CFR 483.150-483.158), including at least 24 hours of supervised clinical rotation at a facility under an approved RN or LPN (clinical day capped at 8 hours). Sourced from the official DCH/Alliant Health Solutions Nurse Aide Training Program (NATP) Manual hosted on mmis.georgia.gov, which times out for automated/bot fetches (like other mmis.georgia.gov pages); the figure is corroborated by the manual's own indexed content and independent secondary summaries of it. [1]
- 3
Written (or Oral) Examination
Pass the Written (or Oral) Examination (fee: $35). Written: 70 multiple-choice questions, 2-hour time limit. Oral alternative: 60 multiple-choice questions plus 10 reading-comprehension questions, delivered on an MP3 player; a Spanish-language version is also offered for $35. Must be passed, along with the Skills Evaluation, within 1 year of completing a Georgia state-approved training program, with 3 attempts allowed. A discounted combined Written+Skills package is $130 (vs. $130 separately for Oral+Skills); fees are nonrefundable. [2]
- 4
Skills Evaluation
Pass the Skills Evaluation (fee: $95). Hands-on demonstration of 5 randomly selected nurse aide skills, rated by a Nurse Evaluator. Candidates on light duty/limited activity for medical reasons cannot take the Skills Evaluation (may still take the Written/Oral exam) until medically cleared for full duty. Same 3-attempt / 1-year window as the Written exam. [2]
- 5
Submit your application
Submit your application to Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) — Georgia Nurse Aide Registry. [2]
- 6
Receive your license
Once your application is approved, Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) — Georgia Nurse Aide Registry issues your Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) for Georgia.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee [2] | None specified |
| License fee [2] | None specified |
| Renewal fee [2] | $0 |
| Written (or Oral) Examination [2] | $35 |
| Skills Evaluation [2] | $95 |
| Written or Oral Examination (Credentia) [2] | $35 |
| Skills Evaluation (Credentia) [2] | $95 |
| Combined Written/Oral + Skills package [2] | $130 |
There is no fee for re-listing (renewal) on the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry. No separate state application or licensing fee beyond the Credentia NNAAP exam fees was found; DCH/Alliant Health Solutions do not charge an additional registry application fee.
Renewal & continuing education
Renew every 2 years.
Registry listing expires 24 months from the later of the last successful competency exam or the most recent recertification date. To renew, a nurse aide must document at least 8 hours of paid, nursing-related work under a nurse's supervision within that 24-month period; no continuing-education hour requirement was found on official sources. If the work requirement isn't met within 24 months, a new state-approved training course and/or competency exam is required. There is no renewal fee.
Reciprocity
Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.
No interstate compact covers CNAs/nurse aides. Georgia's Eligibility Route E-6 (Reciprocity) covers candidates who are active and in good standing on another state's nurse aide registry but have not worked as a nurse aide in the past 24 months (or are listed as ineligible for LTC work, or hold a Maryland CNA instead of a Georgia GNA); these candidates must contact Alliant Health Solutions for authorization to test, then get 1 year and 3 attempts to pass the Written and Skills exams.
21 state-approved training providers in Georgia — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.
Cost calculator
- $35
- $95
Frequently asked questions
How many hours of CNA training does Georgia require?
85 total hours, including at least 24 hours of supervised clinical rotation at a facility, at a Georgia state-approved Nurse Aide Training Program.
Who administers the Georgia CNA exam?
Credentia administers the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) exam under contract with the Georgia Department of Health / DCH. It has a Written (or Oral/Spanish) component ($35) and a hands-on Skills Evaluation ($95).
How often do I need to renew my Georgia Nurse Aide Registry listing?
Every 24 months, by documenting at least 8 hours of paid nursing-related work under a nurse's supervision in that period. There is no renewal fee.
Can I transfer my CNA certification from another state to Georgia?
If you're active and in good standing on another state's registry but haven't worked as a nurse aide in the past 24 months, Eligibility Route E-6 (Reciprocity) lets you test in Georgia after getting authorization from Alliant Health Solutions.
Sources
- [1] mmis.georgia.gov/portal/PubAccess.Nurse%20Aide/tabId/44/Default.aspx — accessed 2026-07-10
- [2] credentia.com/storage/handbooks/ga-handbook_2024.pdf — accessed 2026-07-10
- [3] dch.georgia.gov/office-inspector-general/georgia-criminal-history-check-system-gchexs — accessed 2026-07-10