Substance Abuse Counselor Requirements in Georgia: Credentials, Hours and Exams
Georgia does not license substance abuse counselors.
Instead, O.C.G.A. § 43-10A-7(b)(16) exempts addiction counselors who meet a private association's certification requirements, and the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia (ADACBGA), a private nonprofit IC&RC member board, certifies the CADC-I through CAADC on that basis — with the CADC-T as the (b)(17) trainee route.
This page reads the 2025 Code exemptions alongside ADACBGA's 2025 sheets — hours, degrees, exams, scope, reciprocity and renewal.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
ADACBGA's counselor certifications: CADC-T (trainee, endorsement only, non-reciprocal), CADC-I, CADC-II and CAADC, plus specialty certifications including the CCS, CCJP and CPRC.
GACA is named in the statute, but its credential requirements were not among the sources read.
Voluntary private certifications from the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia (ADACBGA), a private nonprofit IC&RC member board — not a state agency.
No state licence for SUD counselors was found in the sources read; the CADC-I through CAADC rest on the O.C.G.A. § 43-10A-7(b)(16) exemption, and the CADC-T on the (b)(17) trainee exemption.
The exemption's floor: a high school diploma or a state approved high school equivalency (HSE) diploma.
ADACBGA: CADC-T and CADC-I a high school diploma or GED; CADC-II a bachelor's in a human service field or a graduate degree in any field; CAADC a licensure-eligible master's or doctoral degree in a behavioral health field.
Exemption floor: at least 4,000 hours of full-time paid experience under direction plus at least 220 hours of supervision.
ADACBGA: CADC-T 30 supervision hours; CADC-I 6,000 clock hours plus 300 supervision hours; CADC-II and CAADC 4,000 clock hours plus 200 supervision hours each.
The sheets do not map their figures onto the statute's floor, and the CADC-I, CADC-II and CAADC also require at least 20 hours of one-on-one job supervision.
CADC-T: none.
CADC-I and CADC-II: pass the IC&RC ADC examination.
CAADC: pass the IC&RC AADC examination.
The exemption limits services to practices the certifying association sanctions and, in any event, to chemical dependency treatment settings, and bars titles implying licensure.
ADACBGA: CADC-T no legal scope granted; CADC-I dependent; CADC-II independent but with no diagnostic authority (it retains authority to render a diagnostic impression for substance use disorders); CAADC independent, covering co-occurring disorders.
Not applicable: LPCs, LCSWs and MFTs are licensed under the same article (O.C.G.A. ch. 43-10A), and addiction counselors are the exempt group.
Exempt persons may not use any title indicating or implying that they are licensed under the article.
Yes, through ADACBGA, the IC&RC member board: the CADC-I, CADC-II, CAADC, CCS, CCJP and CPRC are the reciprocal credentials the IC&RC directory lists for it.
The CADC-T is endorsement-only and non-reciprocal.
Reciprocity runs between member boards only — a NAADAC credential does not transfer.
CADC-T: a 1-year period.
CADC-I, CADC-II and CAADC: 2-year periods with 40 contact hours of CE (6 ethics, 3 trauma-informed care); the CADC-I renewal also requires 40 hours of clinical supervision (25% one-on-one, at least 2 in each of the 12 Core Functions).
The Georgia credential ladder
- Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor - Trainee(CADC-T)Other
ADACBGA's trainee certification — a private credential, not a state licence — serving the statute's (b)(17) trainee exemption, and endorsement-only and non-reciprocal.
The 2025 sheet asks for a high school diploma or GED, 50 contact hours of A&D education (6 in professional ethics) and 30 hours of clinical supervision (25% one-on-one, at least 2 in each of the 12 Core Functions), and grants no legal scope: practice happens in a licensed agency or state-sponsored program under an ADACBGA approved clinical supervisor.
- Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor, Level I(CADC-I)Other
A private ADACBGA certification, reciprocal through IC&RC.
The 2025 sheet asks for a high school diploma or GED, 300 contact hours, 6,000 clock hours of experience (3 years full-time) with at least 20 hours of one-on-one job supervision, 300 clinical-supervision hours and the IC&RC ADC examination.
Its scope line is dependent under ongoing clinical supervision, restricted to addiction counseling.
- Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor, Level II(CADC-II)Other
A private ADACBGA certification, reciprocal through IC&RC, with an independent scope line: restricted to addiction counseling only, with no diagnostic authority — though it retains independent authority to render a diagnostic impression for substance use disorders.
The 2025 sheet asks for a bachelor's in a human service field or a graduate degree in any field, 300 contact hours, 4,000 clock hours (2 years full-time), 200 supervision hours and the IC&RC ADC examination.
- Certified Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor(CAADC)Other
ADACBGA's advanced private certification, reciprocal through IC&RC, with the broadest scope line: independent across addiction and the intersection of related co-occurring mental, emotional and cognitive disorders.
The 2025 sheet asks for a licensure-eligible master's or doctoral degree in a behavioral health field with a clinical component, 180 contact hours, 4,000 clock hours (2 years full-time), 200 supervision hours and the IC&RC AADC examination.
No state licence: an exemption inside the licensing article, then four private certifications
Georgia has no state licence for substance abuse counselors.
Article 1 of O.C.G.A. ch. 43-10A bars unlicensed practice of professional counseling, social work and marriage and family therapy, and § 43-10A-7(b)(16) is the express exemption that fits certified addiction counselors: it covers those who have met the certification requirements of the Georgia Addiction Counselors Association or any similar private association.
ADACBGA, a private nonprofit IC&RC member board, is such an association, and its CADC-I, CADC-II and CAADC are the credentials that rest on (b)(16) — its page grants the legal-scope claim only to those three.
The CADC-T is the (b)(17) trainee route; (b)(17) requires employment by an agency or facility licensed to provide addiction counseling, supervision and direction by a supervisor meeting GACA's or a similar association's qualifications, a high school or HSE diploma, and actively seeking certification — with a three-year cap.
ADACBGA's sheets also list the CCS, CCJP and CPRC certifications, whose sheets are not among the sources read.
GACA is named in the statute; its credential requirements were not among the sources read.
The same letters mean different tiers in different states; see CADC vs LADC vs LCDC vs CAC.
“The State of Georgia does not license Alcohol & Drug Counselors/Addiction Counselors but instead delegates credentialing authority to non-profit, non-governmental Boards, including the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia (ADACBGA).”
Education: 180 hours at the statute's floor, 300 contact hours for the CADC-I and CADC-II
The exemption's education floor is modest: a high school diploma or a state approved high school equivalency (HSE) diploma, plus at least 180 hours of education in the field of addiction and addiction counseling or treatment.
ADACBGA's sheets go further.
The CADC-T asks for 50 contact hours of A&D education and the 12 Core Functions, 6 of them in professional ethics.
The CADC-I and CADC-II each ask for 300 contact hours across the ADC domains, including 6 hours each of professional ethics, trauma-informed care, telehealth/e-counseling and HIV/AIDS and/or hepatitis C.
The CADC-II adds a degree: a bachelor's in a human service field or a graduate degree in any field.
The CAADC builds on a licensure-eligible master's or doctoral degree in a behavioral health field — one whose program includes a clinical component, such as psychopathology coursework and a supervised internship, field placement or clinical practicum — plus 180 contact hours with the same six-hour blocks.
For which entry tiers take no degree at all, see can you be an addiction counselor without a degree?
“Completion of at least 180 hours of education in the field of addiction and addiction counseling or treatment”
Hours as written: 4,000 paid hours at the statute, 6,000 for the CADC-I
The statute sets the exemption's floor: at least 4,000 hours of full-time paid experience under direction provided by a person acceptable to the association, plus at least 220 hours of supervision provided by a supervisor who meets the qualifications established by the association.
ADACBGA's sheets then set the tier figures.
The CADC-I asks for 6,000 clock hours (3 years full-time) with at least 20 hours of one-on-one job supervision, plus 300 clinical-supervision hours (25% one-on-one, at least 15 in each performance domain).
The CADC-II and CAADC each ask for 4,000 clock hours (2 years full-time) with the same 20-hour job-supervision minimum, plus 200 supervision hours (25% one-on-one, at least 10 in each domain).
The CADC-T sheet asks for 30 hours of clinical supervision, at least 2 in each of the 12 Core Functions.
The sheets do not map their figures onto the statute's floor — the 200 and the statute's 220 are different documents' requirements — and the clock-hour tiers carry a 20-hour one-on-one job-supervision minimum.
These are the board's own figures — not a state rule.
For the whole path from coursework to credential, see how to become a substance abuse counselor.
“Completion of at least 4,000 hours of full-time paid experience under direction provided by a person acceptable to the association in the practice of chemical dependency and abuse counseling”
No exam for the trainee; IC&RC exams from the CADC-I up
The CADC-T sheet states no examination — it is the entry credential, and it stands outside reciprocity.
Above it, the CADC-I and CADC-II each require the IC&RC ADC examination and the CAADC the IC&RC AADC examination, which is what makes those three credentials recognizable by other IC&RC member boards.
The CADC-I, CADC-II and CAADC sheets each price the examination at $180.00.
The $150.00 application fee's waiver for individuals holding an active CADC-T appears on the CADC-I sheet only; the CADC-II and CAADC sheets list the $150.00 application fee without a waiver.
The sheets read do not state a passing score or a retake rule for any tier; ask ADACBGA for current candidate instructions before scheduling.
“pass the IC&RC ADC examination”
Who signs your hours: the association's qualifications at the statute, ADACBGA supervisors at the board
For the exemption itself, the statute requires the 220 supervision hours to come from a supervisor who meets the qualifications established by the association and whose supervision teaches chemical dependency and abuse counseling — the association whose certification you meet controls who qualifies.
The ADACBGA sheets then structure supervision by tier: the CADC-T's 30 hours must include at least 2 in each of the 12 Core Functions, and its scope line places practice under the ongoing clinical supervision of an ADACBGA approved clinical supervisor; the CADC-I's 300 hours need at least 15 in each of the ADC's four performance domains.
At renewal, the CADC-I's 40 supervision hours must come from an ADACBGA CCS or a professional who holds the non-CCS ACS recognition.
Before counting on a placement, confirm who will supervise you and that they hold what the sheet requires.
“Clinical Supervision: 300 Hours (25% must be one-on-one) with no less than 15 Hours in each of the Performance Domains of the ADC”
A services list, not a licence: what the exemption allows and what each tier adds
The exemption is not a licence.
Services under (b)(16) face a two-part limit: they must be practices the certifying association sanctions, and they are in any event limited to chemical dependency treatment in settings the statute lists — screening; intake; orientation; assessment for addiction diseases; treatment planning; individual, family and group addiction counseling; case management; crisis intervention; client education; referral, reporting and record keeping; and consultation with other professionals.
That first limit is what makes ADACBGA's per-tier scope lines legally operative.
Exempt persons may not use any title indicating or implying that they are licensed under the article.
ADACBGA's own scope lines then run upward: the CADC-T grants no legal scope; the CADC-I is dependent under ongoing clinical supervision, restricted to addiction counseling; the CADC-II is independent but with no diagnostic authority, retaining only the authority to render a diagnostic impression for substance use disorders; and the CAADC is independent across addiction and the intersection of related co-occurring mental, emotional and cognitive disorders.
For what an addiction credential does and does not let you diagnose or bill, see can a certified addiction counselor diagnose or bill insurance?
“Persons exempt under this paragraph shall not use any title indicating or implying that they are licensed under this article”
Moving to Georgia: reciprocity runs through ADACBGA, the member board
ADACBGA is Georgia's IC&RC member board, and the credentials the IC&RC directory lists as its reciprocal ones are the CADC-I, CADC-II, CAADC, CCS, CCJP and CPRC.
A counselor holding the matching credential from another member board applies to ADACBGA for the Georgia credential; IC&RC does not certify individuals, and the receiving board can apply its own standards — both rules from IC&RC's reciprocity page.
A NAADAC credential does not transfer — IC&RC states there is no reciprocity agreement between the two frameworks.
The CADC-T is the exception on the ladder: endorsement only and non-reciprocal.
One caution on the board's wording: its certifications page describes the credentials' legal basis as Georgia Code § 43-10A-7-15 and 15.1 — the pre-2022 numbering; in the 2025 Code those exemptions sit at (b)(16) and (b)(17).
For what IC&RC reciprocity transfers, and why NAADAC credentials do not, see IC&RC vs NAADAC.
“Endorsement Only, Non Reciprocal”
One year for the trainee; two years and 40 CE hours for every other rung
The CADC-T renews on a 1-year period at a $75 fee, with requirements the sheet expresses as running totals: not less than 200 CE hours by year two and 300 by year three, and not less than 100 clinical-supervision hours by year 2 and 200 by year 3 — or the initial-application requirements for the CADC-I, CADC-II or CAADC within three years of beginning to work in the field, with not less than 50 clinical-supervision hours in any calendar year the CADC-T is held — whichever is greater.
The CADC-I renews every 2 years at $150 with 40 contact hours of CE (6 ethics, 3 trauma-informed care) plus 40 hours of clinical supervision (25% one-on-one, with not less than 2 hours in each of the 12 Core Functions) from an ADACBGA CCS or a professional who holds the non-CCS ACS recognition.
The CADC-II and CAADC renew on the same 2-year period and CE total, without the supervision hours.
“40 Contact Hours of CE related to A&D Counseling/12 Core Functions (6 Hours of Ethics, 3 of Trauma-Informed Care), 40 Hours of Clinical Supervision from an ADACBGA CCS or professional who holds the Non-CCS ACS recognition”
Cite the 2025 Code: the exemptions moved from (15) to (b)(16) and (b)(17)
Two 2022 amendments are annotated to § 43-10A-7, and they did different things: the first only substituted "state approved high school equivalency (HSE)" for "GED" in the old subparagraphs; the second rewrote subsection (b), which is why the 2025 Code prints the addiction-counselor exemption at (b)(16) and the trainee exemption at (b)(17).
The leftover cross-reference to the old paragraph (15) sits in (b)(17)(D)'s actively-seeking-certification condition, not in the three-year cap.
Guides still citing § 43-10A-7-15 and 15.1 — including ADACBGA's own certifications page — are pointing at the pre-2022 numbering.
The research pass found no 2023–2026 Georgia law creating addiction-counselor licensure, and the ADACBGA sheets are dated 2025, so those sheets are the most recent documents the sources read carry.
“No person shall qualify for the exception provided under this paragraph for a period in excess of three years.”
What This Page Does — and Doesn’t — Cover
This page summarizes the Georgia statute, rules, board pages and other documents cited above, as read for this state-by-state substance abuse counselor requirements series, current as of September 2026.
It does not list application forms, fees beyond those cited above, or processing times, and it is not a substitute for the instructions the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia (ADACBGA) — a private nonprofit certification board, not a state agency publishes.
Nor does it cover peer specialist certification in Georgia.
Hour totals, exams and supervision rules change by statute and by board rule; for why the same letters mean different tiers from state to state, see CADC vs LADC vs LCDC vs CAC.
Confirm every requirement with the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia (ADACBGA) — a private nonprofit certification board, not a state agency before you count hours, register for an exam or apply — and before you take one of the substance abuse counselor jobs in Georgia that asks for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a substance abuse counselor in Georgia?
No state licence for SUD counselors was found in the sources read.
Georgia's licensing article bars unlicensed practice of professional counseling, social work and marriage and family therapy; certified addiction counselors practise under the O.C.G.A. § 43-10A-7(b)(16) exemption, and trainees under (b)(17).
ADACBGA — a private nonprofit IC&RC member board — certifies the CADC-I through CAADC under (b)(16) and the CADC-T trainee route, and the statute bars exempt counselors from using titles implying licensure.
What is the difference between the CADC-I and CADC-II in Georgia?
The CADC-I starts at a high school diploma or GED and asks for 300 contact hours, 6,000 clock hours of experience (3 years full-time), 300 supervision hours and the IC&RC ADC examination; its scope is dependent under ongoing clinical supervision, restricted to addiction counseling.
The CADC-II sets the degree floor at a human-services bachelor's or any graduate degree, cuts the hours to 4,000 (2 years full-time) plus 200 supervision hours, and practises independently — with no diagnostic authority.
Can an ADACBGA-certified counselor diagnose in Georgia?
Only within the limits the sheets set.
The CADC-II is independent but has no diagnostic authority — it retains the authority to render a diagnostic impression for substance use disorders.
The CAADC's independent scope covers addiction and the intersection of related co-occurring mental, emotional and cognitive disorders.
The CADC-I is dependent, and the CADC-T grants no legal scope at all.
Whether an ADACBGA-certified counselor may bill insurance as a licensed clinician is not stated in the sources read.
Does an out-of-state certification transfer to Georgia?
Through ADACBGA, Georgia's IC&RC member board: the CADC-I, CADC-II, CAADC, CCS, CCJP and CPRC are the reciprocal credentials the IC&RC directory lists for it, so a counselor holding the matching credential from another member board applies to ADACBGA.
The CADC-T is endorsement-only and non-reciprocal, and a NAADAC credential does not transfer — IC&RC states there is no reciprocity agreement between the two frameworks.
The receiving board can apply its own standards on top.
How long can you work on a CADC-T in Georgia?
Two clocks run.
The statute's (b)(17) trainee exemption requires all of: employment by an agency or facility licensed to provide addiction counseling, supervision and direction by a supervisor meeting GACA's or a similar association's qualifications, a high school or HSE diploma, and actively seeking certification — and no person may qualify under it for a period in excess of three years.
ADACBGA's CADC-T sheet then renews on a 1-year period with running CE and supervision totals toward a full credential.
More Georgia & Substance Abuse Counselor Resources
Sources
- O.C.G.A. § 43-10A-7 (2025 Code) — licensing requirement; exceptions, via Justia (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- ADACBGA, Certifications page and CADC-T/CADC-I/CADC-II/CAADC 2025 requirement sheets (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- IC&RC, Member Boards directory — ADACBGA's Reciprocal Credentials (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- IC&RC, Reciprocity — International Certificates (retrieved 2026-09-24)
Sourced from the statute, rules, board pages and other documents cited above.
Verified September 2026.
This is career information, not legal or clinical advice — confirm current rules with the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia (ADACBGA) — a private nonprofit certification board, not a state agency.