Georgia
PMHNP Practice Requirements In Georgia: Scope, Prescribing & Collaboration
Short answer: AANP lists Georgia as restricted practice, so a PMHNP prescribes under a written nurse protocol agreement with a delegating physician in a comparable specialty, filed with the Composite Medical Board within 30 days of signing (O.C.G.A. 43-34-25). Schedule II prescribing is barred except a five day emergency supply of hydrocodone or oxycodone, so a PMHNP in Georgia can’t prescribe Schedule II stimulants.
Georgia PMHNP Rules At A Glance
| Topic | Georgia Rule |
|---|---|
| Practice authority | Restricted practice. Medical acts and prescribing flow from a nurse protocol agreement in which a physician delegates specific acts to the APRN; both must be in a comparable specialty (O.C.G.A. 43-34-25(b), (c)). |
| Physician agreement | Required. The protocol must provide immediate consultation, periodic chart review, annual review, and quarterly physician evaluation of any patient receiving a controlled substance, and be filed with the Composite Medical Board within 30 days (43-34-25(c), (m)). |
| Physician limit | A delegating physician may hold protocol agreements with no more than four APRNs at one time, or eight in qualifying accredited settings while supervising no more than four at once (O.C.G.A. 43-34-25(g), (g.1)). |
| Controlled substances | No Schedule I or II under a protocol, except an initial five day emergency supply of hydrocodone or oxycodone for adults, added by HB 557 in 2024 (43-34-25(d.1)). Schedule III to V are delegable; refills can’t exceed 12 months. |
| PDMP | Check the Georgia PDMP the first time you prescribe a Schedule II opioid or a benzodiazepine and at least every 90 days after, unless the supply is three days and 26 pills or less (O.C.G.A. 16-13-63(a)(2)). |
| Regulator | Georgia Board of Nursing authorizes APRNs; the Georgia Composite Medical Board reviews and approves nurse protocol agreements. Apply for a DEA number only after both steps are done. |
Updated October 5, 2026
Practice Authority
What Is Georgia NP Practice Authority?
AANP’s State Practice Environment map puts Georgia among the restricted practice states. A nurse practitioner in Georgia doesn’t practice independently. The ability to perform medical acts, including prescribing, flows from a written nurse protocol agreement with a delegating physician, and PMHNPs, as APRNs, work within the same framework.
Two boards are involved, the Georgia Board of Nursing and the Georgia Composite Medical Board, because physician delegation is central to APRN practice. The relevant rules have been under revision.
Category
Restricted practice per the AANP map. AANP updates the AANP State Practice Environment page as state laws are amended.
Nurse Protocol Agreement
A written agreement with a delegating physician is the foundation of NP practice in Georgia. It authorizes medical acts and requires physician availability for consultation.
Population Focus
As a PMHNP, you practice within your psychiatric-mental health certification and the terms of your protocol agreement.
Collaboration & Agreements
Is A Physician Agreement Required In Georgia?
Yes. Georgia’s model is built around the nurse protocol agreement, a written document in which a physician delegates authority to the NP to perform specified medical acts and agrees to be available for consultation. That agreement defines what you’re allowed to do and prescribe. Georgia’s rules have also addressed how many APRNs or physician assistants a physician can supervise, and those provisions have been updated.
A template protocol from another practice, or last year’s terms, won’t necessarily match the current rules. The Georgia Board of Nursing publishes the current content requirements for a nurse protocol agreement, the supervision limits and any recent rule changes.
Prescribing
Prescriptive Authority And Controlled Substances
In Georgia, the nurse protocol agreement defines an NP’s prescribing authority, and controlled substances carry additional, specific conditions. Georgia has historically imposed notable limits on APRN controlled-substance prescribing, including conditions tied to experience, protocol authorization, and the type or quantity of certain controlled substances, and these rules have been revised over time. For PMHNPs, whose care frequently involves controlled substances, that’s the part of the rules that matters most.
We don’t publish specific schedules, day-supply limits, experience thresholds or supervision caps here, because they change and a wrong number carries real consequences. Get them from the Georgia Board of Nursing, the Georgia Composite Medical Board and the DEA.
Next Step
Credentialing Is A Separate Track
Being allowed to practice in Georgia and getting paid there are two different things. Payer enrollment has its own rules, Medicaid program and timelines, which our Georgia credentialing and payer enrollment guide covers in detail. For the national picture, there’s the PMHNP credentialing guide.
Starting a practice from scratch? Our guide on how to start a PMHNP practice puts licensure, collaboration and enrollment in the right order. The PMHNP hub has the rest of our billing, credentialing and operations guides. Before you set a budget, check what PMHNP credentialing costs and what it costs to start a PMHNP practice.
Already credentialed and moving to your own Tax ID? Payer Transition moves five commercial payer contracts you already hold for $2,250 per provider. Starting from zero, First Practice Launch sets up the payers, EHR, portals and billing together for $6,000, or four monthly payments of $1,500.
FAQ
Georgia PMHNP: Frequently Asked Questions
Can A PMHNP Practice Independently In Georgia?
No. Georgia is a restricted practice state, and an APRN performs medical acts and prescribes only under a nurse protocol agreement with a delegating physician (O.C.G.A. 43-34-25). There’s no hours based path to independent practice, and the agreement must be reviewed annually and filed with the Composite Medical Board.
Can A PMHNP Prescribe Adderall In Georgia?
No. O.C.G.A. 43-34-25 does not authorize an APRN to issue a prescription drug order for a Schedule I or II controlled substance, and the only Schedule II exception, added by HB 557 in 2024, covers a five day emergency supply of hydrocodone or oxycodone (43-34-25(d.1)). Stimulants are Schedule II, so the delegating physician writes them.
Do I Need A Collaborating Physician In Georgia?
Yes, a delegating physician. The nurse protocol agreement must be signed by both of you, provide for immediate consultation, set a schedule for the physician’s review of your patient records, and be filed with the Composite Medical Board within 30 days of signing (O.C.G.A. 43-34-25(c), (m)). The physician’s principal practice must be in Georgia or within 50 miles of where the protocol is used.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check with the Georgia Board of Nursing before you act on it. Last reviewed: September 26, 2026.
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