Does state provide a license: Yes
Current Active Licensees
| Title | Licensees |
|---|---|
| Registered Professional Geologist | 1023 |
License: Professional Geologist
Exam Entity: ASBOG
Licensing Board: Georgia Board of Geologists
Licensing Board Website: https://sos.ga.gov/index.php/licensing/plb/26
Degree required:
Majors accepted:
Courses required:
Courses accepted:
Geology credits required: 30
Credit information: The applicant must have graduated from an accredited college or university which has been approved by the board with a major in either geology, engineering geology, or geological engineering; or completed 45 quarter hours or the equivalent in geological science courses leading to a major in geology, of which at least 36 quarter hours or the equivalent were taken in the third or fourth year or in graduate courses.
Education Notes: See the state regulations for a complete explanation of the education requirements for licensure.
Years of experience required: 7
Experience credits needed: 4
Experience information: Have at least seven (7) years of professional geological work which shall include a minimum of three years of professional geological work under the supervision of a registered geologist, a registered civil engineer, or other supervision acceptable to the Board. The following criteria of education and experience qualify, as specified, toward accumulation of the required seven years of professional geological work: (A) Each year of undergraduate study in the geological sciences shall count as one-half year of training up to a maximum of two years, and each year of graduate study shall count as a year of training; (B) Credit for undergraduate study, graduate study, and graduate courses, individually or in any combination thereof, shall in no case exceed a total of four years toward meeting the requirements for at least seven years of professional geological work as set forth above; (C) The board may consider, in lieu of the above professional geological work as set out in this paragraph,
Continuing education requirements: No
Geologist in Training license available: No
Can take Fundamentals of Geology test before graduation: Yes
Fundamentals of Geology test details: The rules, regulations and board website do not specifically address taking the FG examination before degree completion. The regulations state that to qualify, the applicant must have completed 45 quarter hours or the equivalent in geological science courses leading to a major in geology, or which at least 36 hours or the equivalent were taken in the third or fourth years, or in graduate courses.
Legal Code Reference for GIT, FG: Georgia Rules and Regulations, Chapter 265-6 Geologist-In-Training (Repealed January 16, 1991) Chapter 365-4 Registration to Practice Under Title of R
Most registration and licensure systems include structural approaches to review both the need and operational effectiveness of the process.
Some states provide formal sunset evaluation processes for their licensure programs. Many also include a periodic audit process of the licensure program/agency, which can range from cursory financial reviews to comprehensive evaluation of program effectiveness.
The audit process is often leveraged when political pressure is applied to eliminate geologist licensure, so awareness of the history and codes for audits and sunset evaluations is critical to montioring the health of the licensure within the state.
Current modes for sunsetting evaluation: Audit
License subject to sunset review: No
License subject to audit review: No
Current law to establish new licensure board: Yes
Sunset regulation name: None identified
Sunset statute: See audit and sunset history
Sunset statute reference: See audit and sunset history
Sunset committee: See audit and sunset history
Composition of sunset committee: See audit and sunset history
Sunset committee website: See audit and sunset history
Sunset duration: See audit and sunset history
Sunset notes: The current audit statutes were formerly a sunset law, originally named Review, Continuation, Reestablishment or Termination of Regulatory Agencies. The board was removed from review in 1981. The sunset rule was amended for regulatory audits.
Auditor name: Department of Audits
Auditor website: https://www.audits.ga.gov/
Audit statute: Official Code of Geogia Annotated, Title 43. Professions and Businesses, Chapter 2. Audit of Regulatory Agencies
Audit Statute abbreviation: Official Code of Geogia Annotated, Title 43. Professions and Businesses, Chapter 2. Audit of Regulatory Agencies Section 41-5A-1
Audit statute link: http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/gacode/Default.asp
Audit legislation committee: Information and Audits Committee
Audit legislation committee website: http://www.house.ga.gov/COMMITTEES/en-US/committee.aspx?Committee=118&Session=27
Audit notes: No audits were identified for the Board of Geologists. The board is not listed in the Audit categories.
| Year | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Practice regulation | The Registration of Geologists Act of 1975 was created. |
| 1977 | Sunset law created | The Review, Continuation, Reestablishment or Termination of Regulatory Agencies law was created by SB 4 of 1977 Chapter 84-1b (§43-2-1). The law is currently called the Audit of Regulatory Agencies. |
| 1981 | Sunset law amended | The sunset law was amended by Acts 1981, effective 4/7/1981. The amendments provided for the repeal of Acts 1978, relating to the termination date of the State Board of Geologists Examiners §12-6-63 repealed, i.e. the State Board of Geologists was removed from sunset review. |
| 1996 | ASBOG | The first ASBOG exam was administered. |
| 2008 | The Georgia Secretary of State budget was approximately $42 million. Note in subsequent years that budget was reducted significantly, and therefore removed resources for state licensing boards. | |
| 2012 | Legislative bill | 2011-2012: Senate bill (SB) 223 was introducted. The bill attempted to create a the Georgia Government Accountability Act, which would establish; create Legislative Sunset Advisory Committee; authorize to review/evaluate state agencies', productivity, efficiency, and responsiveness. It does not appear to have passed. |
| 2015 | The Georgia Secretary of State budget was approximately $22 million, approximately half of what it was in 2008. | |
| 2019 | The Georgia Secretary of State budget was approximately $24.7 million, presumably providing some additional support to state licensing boards. This budget is still much less than in 2008. | |
| 2020 | The Georgia Secretary of State budget was approximately $25.2 million, presumably providing some additional support to state licensing boards. This budget is still much less than in 2008. |