Georgia Licensing Boards: $3 Million SCRA Deal for Military Spouses

What happened

On March 31, 2026 the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Georgia announced an agreement with 42 Georgia state licensing boards. The signatories are the Georgia Secretary of State and the professional licensing boards under that office, among them the boards for nursing, cosmetology and barbers, electrical contractors and veterinary medicine, plus the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy. DOJ called it the first settlement of its kind.

The allegation was that the boards failed to recognize out-of-state professional licenses held by servicemembers and military spouses who moved to Georgia on military orders, which the SCRA has required since January 2023. DOJ said the investigation uncovered multiple complaints, that spouses could not work in their fields or earn money after relocating, and that one military spouse drove to a neighboring state to work because a Georgia board would not recognize her license.

The resolution is a settlement agreement, not a court order. It does not admit liability or any fact, it runs four years from the last signature, and it names the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia as the exclusive venue if the United States sues for breach.

Going forward, the boards may not demand documents or requirements beyond those listed in Section 4025a. When a board cannot process a portability application, or finish a background check, within 30 days, it must issue a temporary license within 30 days of receiving the application, with the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as a permanent one (agreement paragraphs 5 to 7). DOJ's release lists teachers, nurses, electricians, plumbers, cosmetologists, barbers, opticians, massage therapists, physical, occupational and speech therapists, pharmacists and social workers among the professions covered.

The law behind this: 50 U.S.C. § 4025a

Portability of professional licenses of servicemembers and their spouses: read the statute , or read § 4025a in plain English, with its enforcement record .

This groundbreaking settlement ensures that servicemembers and their spouses stationed in Georgia can have their out-of-state licenses recognized without facing unnecessary hurdles. Licensing authorities in other states should take note of this settlement and ensure they comply with the SCRA.

Federal law requires every state to recognize hard-earned professional licenses when our warfighters must uproot their families in service to our country.

Who was covered

Servicemembers and military spouses whose applications to port a professional license to one of the Georgia boards were denied or delayed after January 2023. The boards must email notice of the agreement to everyone who applied for a license of any kind since January 5, 2023, the day Section 4025a became law, and mail it to every applicant who identified as a servicemember or military spouse. DOJ's release asks anyone who applied to a Georgia board after January 2023 and may have been wrongfully denied SCRA rights to contact the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

What the settlement paid

• A $3,000,000 Settlement Fund, encumbered within 30 days and administered by the Georgia Department of Administrative Services (agreement paragraph 16).
• The United States makes a preliminary determination of who was harmed and how much each person should receive, a declaration signed by each aggrieved person about their damages goes to the boards, and the boards get 30 days to offer information they believe refutes it (paragraphs 22 and 23). No one person may receive more than $50,000 (paragraph 22), and payment requires a signed release limited to Section 4025a claims. Payees receive a 1099-MISC.
• Determinations come in a first 180-day window after the effective date, then on a rolling basis for another 180 days (paragraphs 22 and 28). The fund is a ceiling: total payments may not exceed it, and money still encumbered afterward may be unencumbered (paragraphs 31 and 32).
• New SCRA policies, updated board websites with application instructions and contacts, listing of SCRA-credentialed licensees in public directories, verification of licensure for employers on request, and annual staff training.

Why this case matters

The settlement is stricter than the statute on time. Section 4025a(b) says a licensing authority that cannot act within 30 days may issue a temporary license; the Georgia boards agreed they will issue one within 30 days of receiving the application. That is the difference between a promise to recognize a license and a date by which a spouse can start work after a PCS. DOJ's release told licensing authorities in other states to take note, and on June 11, 2026 it sued New Mexico's bar admission authorities under the same section.