CNA License Requirements in Georgia (2026)
Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant in Georgia is one of the fastest, most practical ways to start a healthcare career. With just 85 hours of state-approved training, a two-part competency exam, and a listing on the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry, you can be working in patient care within six to eight weeks. Whether you’re starting from scratch or transferring a certification from another state, here’s everything you need to know.
REQUIRED 85 hrs incl. 24 hrs clinical
combined
registry
Who regulates CNA certification in Georgia?
CNA certification in Georgia is a team effort between several agencies, each with a specific role in getting you from applicant to active registry listing.
| Agency | What They Do |
|---|---|
| Georgia Dept. of Community Health (DCH) | State regulatory body overseeing CNA certification; approves training programs; oversees the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry. |
| Alliant Health Solutions | DCH’s contracted Nurse Aide Program administrator; manages eligibility determinations and registry operations; call (888) 383-5662 or (678) 527-3010 for registry help. |
| Credentia | Administers the NNAAP competency exam, including written/oral and skills components; replaced the previous exam vendor. Call (888) 204-6249 for exam help. |
| Georgia Nurse Aide Registry | The public listing confirming your active CNA status; searchable by employers through CareConnect Georgia; also lists substantiated findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation. |
| UGA CNA Virtual Skills Evaluation | An alternative free Zoom-based skills evaluation pathway administered through the University of Georgia — Georgia’s unique option that reduces cost barriers for candidates. |
Georgia uses the title “Certified Nurse Aide” rather than “Certified Nursing Assistant” in official documentation, though both terms are understood and used interchangeably. Your status is maintained through the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry, not a traditional professional nursing license board.
What does a CNA do in Georgia?
CNAs in Georgia are the primary providers of hands-on patient care. You’ll often be the person spending the most time directly with residents or patients, which means your observations, your reliability, and your communication with nursing staff genuinely matter in patient outcomes.
✓ Within CNA scope
- Personal care: bathing, grooming, oral hygiene, dressing
- Toileting and continence assistance
- Feeding, meal assistance, and hydration support
- Taking and recording vital signs
- Mobility, transfers, and repositioning
- Bed making and environment safety
- Observing residents and reporting changes to nurses
- Infection control and standard precautions
- Emotional support and respectful patient care
✕ Outside CNA scope
- Diagnosing medical conditions
- Developing nursing care plans
- Administering medications (standard CNA role)
- Performing tasks requiring an LPN or RN license
- Invasive procedures outside authorized training
- Independent clinical decision-making
What about medication administration?
Standard CNA certification in Georgia does not authorize medication administration. Medication-related duties depend on state law, the care setting, additional training, and your specific role. If medication administration is something you’re interested in, investigate Georgia’s specific delegation rules for your facility type before assuming your CNA credential covers it.
Georgia CNA requirements at a glance
Before you apply for shifts, make sure you’ve:
- Enrolled in a Georgia DCH-approved Nurse Aide Training Program (NATP)
- Completed at least 85 total hours of training (classroom, lab, and clinical)
- Completed at least 24 hours of supervised clinical experience in a nursing home setting
- Passed the NNAAP written (or oral) knowledge examination
- Passed the NNAAP skills evaluation (5 randomly selected skills)
- Completed required background screening
- Confirmed active status on the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry
- Met any additional employer-specific requirements (BLS, immunizations, ID)
Before enrolling in any program, verify it’s on the Georgia DCH’s approved program list. Completing an unapproved program disqualifies you from sitting for the state exam, and you’d have to retrain from scratch. The DCH maintains a searchable list of approved programs. Georgia has 403 approved programs across 156 cities as of 2026, so a verified option is likely close to you.
Step-by-step: how to become a CNA in Georgia
Find and enroll in a Georgia-approved training program
Programs are offered at technical colleges, community colleges, career schools, and many healthcare facilities. Georgia has 403 DCH-approved programs as of 2026. Compare cost, schedule, location, and clinical placement before enrolling.
Complete the required 85-hour training program
Training includes classroom instruction, laboratory skills practice, and at least 24 hours of supervised clinical experience in a nursing home setting. Topics include personal care, vital signs, infection control, resident rights, transfers, nutrition, documentation, and dementia care.
Establish eligibility and schedule your exam through Credentia
New Georgia-trained graduates apply directly through Credentia or their training program. Candidates using other eligibility routes must first contact Alliant Health Solutions to establish eligibility before scheduling through Credentia.
Pass both parts of the NNAAP exam
The National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) exam includes a written or oral knowledge test and a skills evaluation. Both parts must be passed to qualify for Georgia Nurse Aide Registry listing.
Get listed on the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry
After passing both exam components, Credentia reports your results to DCH. Your name should appear on the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry within 10 business days. Verify your listing through CareConnect Georgia before starting your job search.
Start applying — and consider per-diem options
With an active registry listing, you’re eligible to work in nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living communities, home health agencies, rehab centers, memory care settings, and hospice-related environments. Per-diem opportunities through platforms like MyShyft can help you build experience and income while maintaining flexibility.
The Georgia CNA exam, what you’re actually tested on
📄 Written / Oral Knowledge Test
🤝 Skills Evaluation
Georgia offers a unique free alternative for the skills exam: the UGA CNA Virtual Skills Evaluation, administered by the University of Georgia via Zoom. This option eliminates the cost of the in-person skills test at a Credentia test center. Ask your training program about this option before paying for a traditional test site.
Is the Georgia CNA exam hard?
The knowledge test is manageable with focused preparation, 70 questions in 2 hours gives you plenty of time to work through each question carefully. Study infection control, resident rights, and safety procedures closely; these are consistently the highest-weighted areas.
The skills exam is where practice matters more than memorization. You’re randomly assigned 5 skills and must perform them in front of an evaluator. The most common failure points are skipping hand hygiene before or after a procedure, missing safety steps, or rushing. Practice each skill out loud from start to finish, talking through the steps as you perform them helps you catch what you might otherwise skip under pressure.
How long does it take to become a CNA in Georgia?
| Item | Timeline | Typical Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia-approved NATP training | 3–6 weeks | $500–$1,500 (varies by program; some free via employer) |
| Textbooks and materials | Included in some programs | $50–$150 |
| NNAAP written + skills exam | Schedule after training | ~$130 combined (Credentia) |
| UGA Virtual Skills option | Schedule after training | Free |
| Background check | Runs parallel to training | $30–$60 |
| CPR/BLS (required by most employers) | Can complete before training ends | $50–$120 |
| Uniforms and supplies | Before clinical training begins | $50–$150 |
| Conservative total | 6–8 weeks overall | ~$800–$2,000 (often covered by employer) |
How to reduce your training costs
Training cost is often the biggest barrier, and there are real ways to reduce it. Many nursing homes and home health agencies offer free CNA training in exchange for a post-certification work commitment. Ask potential employers about sponsored programs before paying out of pocket. Workforce development programs through Georgia’s TCSG (Technical College System of Georgia) and federal HPOG grants also fund CNA training for eligible candidates. FAFSA-eligible schools may offer Pell Grant coverage for tuition.
What Georgia CNAs earn
Georgia CNA pay runs slightly below the national median, but cost of living is also lower, particularly outside Atlanta. The BLS median for nursing assistants in Georgia is $34,710 per year ($16.77/hr). Atlanta metro CNAs typically earn more, with Glassdoor and ZipRecruiter reporting averages in the $19–$20/hr range for Atlanta-area positions.
Your hourly rate isn’t the only number that matters. Shift differentials for nights, weekends, and holidays can add $2–5/hr. Overtime at time-and-a-half changes the math significantly. Per-diem work often pays higher base rates than full-time positions. Factor all of these in when comparing opportunities.
Salary Disclaimer: Salary estimates are based on publicly available wage data, employer job postings, and labor market information. Actual earnings vary by employer, geographic location, specialty, shift differentials, overtime opportunities, certifications, and experience level.
Where Georgia CNAs work
| Setting | What you do there | Pay relative to SNF |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled nursing / long-term care | Resident ADL care, vitals, documentation, primary CNA setting | Baseline |
| Hospitals | Patient care tech or nursing assistant under RN direction | Higher |
| Assisted living communities | Residential personal care in home-like settings | Comparable |
| Home health agencies | One-on-one client care in their homes | Varies widely |
| Rehabilitation centers | Supporting therapy goals and patient recovery | Comparable |
| Memory care / dementia units | Specialized resident care; behavioral management | Often higher |
| Hospice settings | End-of-life comfort care and family support | Often higher |
| Per-diem / staffing platforms | Flexible shifts across multiple facilities | Often highest |
CNA to LPN to RN, Georgia’s healthcare career ladder
Starting as a CNA is one of the smartest moves you can make before committing to nursing school. You build real patient care experience, gain clinical familiarity that nursing schools value on applications, and have the option to continue working while you complete your program. Georgia’s technical college system offers affordable LPN and ADN pathways, and most large hospital systems offer tuition reimbursement for staff pursuing nursing credentials.
Renewing your Georgia CNA certification
Georgia CNAs maintain their status through the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry rather than a traditional license renewal process. The key requirement is qualifying employment, keeping your registry listing active depends on documented work, not just the passage of time.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Active registry period | 24 months; registry must reflect qualifying employment to stay active |
| Qualifying employment | Must perform nursing-related work for compensation during each 24-month period |
| Employer verification | Your employer verifies your qualifying work history; keep employment documentation in case of discrepancy |
| If requirements aren’t met | Registry status becomes inactive; must retest (knowledge and skills exams) to reinstate |
| LTC facility in-service | If working in a long-term care facility, 12 hours of annual in-service education are also required |
| Registry check | Verify your status periodically through CareConnect Georgia, don’t wait for your employer to notify you of a problem |
What if your Georgia CNA certification has expired?
If your registry status has lapsed, either due to a gap in qualifying employment or because you didn’t complete the renewal process, reinstatement typically requires retesting. Candidates who have been inactive for an extended period may also need to retrain. If your lapse is recent and the circumstances are straightforward, contact Alliant Health Solutions before assuming you need the full training program again; they can clarify your specific reinstatement path.
Transferring a CNA certification to Georgia (reciprocity)
Already certified as a CNA in another state? If your certification is active and in good standing, Georgia has a reciprocity process that lets you transfer without retaking the full training program and exam.
| Requirement | What’s needed |
|---|---|
| Active out-of-state certification | Must be currently active, unencumbered, and in good standing in the originating state. |
| Verification from home state | Your home state’s nurse aide registry must verify your status directly to Georgia. |
| Eligibility review | Contact Alliant Health Solutions first to establish eligibility, other-route candidates cannot schedule directly through Credentia without this step. |
| Background check | Georgia still requires its own background screening, clearance from your home state doesn’t transfer. |
| Additional testing | If your previous certification is from a state with substantially different training requirements, additional testing may be required. |
| Timeline | Typically 2–4 weeks once home state verification is received and eligibility is confirmed. |
Already certified in Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, or another southern state? Georgia’s reciprocity process is your most direct path. Contact Alliant Health Solutions before submitting anything, they’ll confirm your specific eligibility requirements based on your existing certification record.
What can disqualify you from becoming a CNA in Georgia?
A criminal history doesn’t automatically end your eligibility, but certain convictions do create barriers. Georgia DCH reviews background check results and disqualifying offenses include felonies related to elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or assault. Some offenses lead to permanent disqualification; others are evaluated on severity, recency, and relevance to patient care.
If you have concerns about your background before enrolling in a program, contact the Georgia DCH before investing time and money. Knowing your eligibility upfront is far better than discovering a problem after completing training.
Before you start your first shift, what to have ready
Shift-ready checklist
- Active status confirmed on the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry (CareConnect Georgia)
- Government-issued photo ID (driver’s license or passport)
- Current BLS/CPR certification (AHA or Red Cross — required by most facilities)
- Background check documentation (results letter or clearance)
- Immunization records (TB screening, flu vaccination, required vaccines per CDC guidance)
- Social Security card (unsigned — required for exam ID; keep available for employment paperwork)
Active on the Georgia registry? Start picking up shifts.
Once you’re listed on the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry and credentialed through MyShyft, you don’t have to wait for a full-time opening. Work across skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, assisted living, and memory care, on a schedule that fits your life.
Find CNA shifts in Georgia↗
Frequently Asked Questions
Licensing Information Disclaimer: Licensing requirements, fees, examination details, renewal standards, and Nurse Licensure Compact participation may change over time. While we strive to keep this information current and accurate, MyShyft does not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information provided. Always verify licensing requirements directly with the Florida Board of Nursing before making educational, licensing, employment, or relocation decisions. Reliance on information contained on this page is at the reader’s own risk.