Home/Knowledge & Support/Georgia Psychologists
Georgia · State Psychology Boards
How long does a Georgia Board of Examiners of Psychologists investigation take?
Once the Georgia Board of Examiners of Psychologists opens an investigation, a defined sequence unfolds — from the Division's fact-finding and any subpoena for records to a possible consent order or referral for a hearing. There is no fixed statutory deadline, which is part of what makes the wait so unsettling. This guide sets out the process, what drives how long it takes, and how a case can end, from notice to outcome.
What triggers a Georgia psychology investigation?
An investigation begins when the Board receives a complaint alleging a violation of the psychology law or its rules, or when it learns of a matter from another source — a malpractice action, a felony charge, a self-report, or disciplinary action taken in another state.
Because many cases start from sources other than a client complaint, psychologists are sometimes surprised to be investigated over a matter they considered closed. The common thread in defensible cases is a clear, contemporaneous record made at the time of care.
Who investigates, and what powers do they have?
The fact-finding is carried out by investigators of the Professional Licensing Boards Division. They may examine any records relating to a licensee's fitness to practise, and the Division Director may issue subpoenas to compel access to documents where there are reasonable grounds to believe a violation may have occurred.
How you engage with the investigation matters. What you provide becomes part of the record the Board and its Assistant Attorney General will weigh, so records and any response should be prepared factually and with counsel rather than informally.
Can the Board require an evaluation or records?
Yes, in defined circumstances. Where the Board has a reasonable basis to believe a psychologist is incapacitated by substance abuse or mental or physical illness, § 43-39-13 allows it to require the licensee to submit to a mental or physical examination, or to produce the relevant records — and the results are admissible before the Board.
This carries a specific risk. If a licensee fails to submit to the examination or to provide the records when properly directed, the Board may summarily suspend the license where the public health, safety, and welfare imperatively require it, and then proceed to a final order after notice and hearing.
How long does a Georgia Board of Examiners of Psychologists investigation take?
Georgia does not publish a fixed statutory deadline for Board investigations. In practice, a straightforward matter may resolve in a few months, while cases that require expert review, involve multiple clients, or run alongside a criminal or malpractice action commonly take a year or more.
The complainant may ask the Division about the status of a pending complaint, and you — through counsel — will generally be kept informed as the matter develops. The absence of a hard deadline also gives you time to prepare a considered response and to begin building a mitigation record while the case is still open.
What are the possible outcomes?
An investigation ends in one of several ways. The Board may close the case where the evidence does not support a violation, or issue a non-disciplinary letter of concern. It may resolve the matter by a consent order — private for lesser or technical issues, or public for disciplinary ones. Or it may refer the case to the Attorney General for a formal hearing.
Consent orders in Georgia frequently include required education alongside any other terms — which is one reason demonstrating relevant learning and remediation can shape the outcome.
Can your license be suspended before a hearing?
In most cases, no — a psychologist continues to practise while an investigation proceeds. But the Board can act sooner where necessary: it may summarily suspend a license before a full hearing where the public health, safety, and welfare imperatively require such action, with a final order to follow after notice and hearing.
Summary suspension is reserved for the most serious situations, such as credible allegations of sexual misconduct or impairment endangering clients. A psychologist served with one should obtain counsel immediately.
What should you do during the investigation?
Take any Division or Board contact seriously and note every deadline. Preserve your records exactly as they stand, do not contact the person you believe complained, and route all communication through counsel. Do not ignore a subpoena, a records request, or a direction to undergo an examination.
Notify your malpractice carrier, retain experienced counsel before you respond, and begin building a record of insight and remediation in parallel — it is far more persuasive assembled while the case is live than produced after a sanction is proposed.
Related courses
These are ethics and professional-development courses that help build the insight and mitigation record the Board considers. They are not accredited CE and are not a substitute for Georgia's mandatory continuing education for psychologists; confirm how any completion is recognized.
More Georgia psychologist guides
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Georgia psychology investigation take?
Can investigators subpoena my records?
Can the Board make me undergo an evaluation?
Does an investigation mean I will be disciplined?
Can my license be suspended during the investigation?
Is the investigation confidential?
This article is general information for psychologists, not legal advice. Regulatory processes change and every case turns on its own facts — confirm current requirements with the Georgia State Board of Examiners of Psychologists and your own attorney before acting.