Georgia Behavioral Health & Substance Use Licensing Guide

Licensing agency

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD)Took over from DCH on January 1, 2026

Substance use license

Drug Abuse Treatment and Education Program (DATEP)Rule 82-10-1, effective July 19, 2026

Applications

GAHLES portalFirst review takes up to 30 business days

Opioid treatment

Narcotic treatment program (NTP) licenseRule 111-8-53; applications in December only

Accreditation

Can support licensing without an on-site visitAccredited DATEPs also get 25% off the annual fee

Who licenses behavioral health programs in Georgia?

Since January 1, 2026, DBHDD. House Bill 584 (2025) moved licensing of drug abuse treatment and education programs (DATEPs), narcotic treatment programs, community living arrangements and adult residential mental health programs from the Department of Community Health to DBHDD. Existing rules and current licenses stayed in force through the transfer.^{1, 2} During the transition some applicants may still be routed through DCH systems, and DBHDD receives those forms.¹

Crisis stabilization units for adults are licensed by DBHDD under Rule 82-3-1, one license per site.¹⁰ Residential mental health facilities for children and youth still appear among DCH’s Healthcare Facility Regulation rules (111-8-68).¹⁸

DATEP program types

A DATEP license covers any program that provides treatment or counseling to people who are drug dependent, residential or not.⁴ The rules recognize these program types:

• Residential sub-acute detoxification and ambulatory detoxification
• Residential intensive treatment and residential transitional treatment
• Specialized day treatment and outpatient drug treatment
• Special programs⁴

Housing-only sites such as halfway houses generally do not need a DATEP license unless they provide treatment or are controlled by a licensed program.⁴ Georgia does not license recovery residences.¹⁷ A DATEP that offers buprenorphine must attest that it is not a methadone clinic, because methadone treatment requires a narcotic treatment program license.⁶

Law and rules

DATEPs are licensed under O.C.G.A. 26-5-1 et seq.⁴ DBHDD’s licensing rules now include Rule 82-10-1 for DATEPs, 111-8-53 for narcotic treatment programs, 111-8-2 for adult residential mental health programs, 290-9-37 for community living arrangements, 82-14-1 for enforcement and 82-15-1 for background checks.³ The DATEP rules were previously numbered Chapter 111-8-19 under DCH.

How to apply for a DATEP license

1. Register the businessGeorgia Secretary of State registration, plus a notarized O.C.G.A. 50-36-1 affidavit with photo ID.⁶
2. Clear the siteDeed or lease, city or county zoning approval, a certificate of occupancy (or the local government’s statement that none is needed), a sanitation agreement, a floor plan and a fire safety inspection with no violations, dated within 12 months.^{6, 4}
3. Screen the ownersDBHDD background checks for every owner, and a CLIA certificate or waiver if you test on site.⁶
4. Apply in GAHLESSubmit the application and fees through the GAHLES portal. The first review takes up to 30 business days, and fees are non-refundable.^{7, 6}
5. Provisional license and surveyA provisional license lasts up to 90 days.⁴

Branches and ownership: from July 1, 2026, each new DATEP branch needs its own license. Existing branches keep their status until something changes.⁴ Licenses do not transfer when the location or governing body changes, and a change of ownership has its own application with the transaction documents and the previous owner’s license.^{4, 6}

Licensing fees

Annual fees are due by December 31.⁸ DBHDD’s fee table and its NTP application packet total the narcotic treatment program fees differently, so confirm the amount with DBHDD before you pay.^{8, 9}

How accreditation counts in Georgia

Licensing: DBHDD may license a DATEP based on accreditation from a body it approves, without an on-site visit, although it can still survey the program.⁴

Fees: accredited DATEPs get 25% off the annual fee. DBHDD lists CARF, COA, CQL and The Joint Commission as approved accreditors for DATEPs.⁸

Publicly funded services: DBHDD network providers must be accredited by a body DBHDD accepts, or certified by DBHDD, to add services.¹¹ Some services name the accreditor: community residential rehabilitation requires CARF or The Joint Commission, and psychiatric residential treatment facilities and mobile crisis require The Joint Commission, CARF or COA.¹²

Opioid treatment: federal rules require accreditation from a SAMHSA-approved body such as CARF or The Joint Commission.¹⁴

Narcotic treatment programs

• Regional cap: Georgia limits narcotic treatment programs to four per region across 49 regions, unless DBHDD grants a waiver.⁵
• December window: new NTP applications are accepted December 1 to 31 only.⁹
• Community notice: the application lists the NTPs in your region and within 75 miles, shows community input and includes letters of intent to law enforcement within 25 miles and drug courts within 75 miles. The rules also require an information forum at least 14 days before open enrollment.^{9, 5}
• Federal approvals: SAMHSA certification, DEA registration and accreditation, alongside the state license.¹⁴

Other approvals you may need

• DBHDD network and Medicaid: becoming a DBHDD provider runs through an enrollment forum, a letter of intent during open enrollment, the DBHDD application and a possible site visit, then the DCH Medicaid application. A DCH denial means waiting a year to reapply.¹³ DBHDD’s network has three tiers, from comprehensive community providers to specialty providers.¹¹
• Local approvals: zoning, building, sanitation and fire marshal requirements, and a certificate of occupancy where required.⁴

Recent changes

• HB 584 (effective January 1, 2026): licensing moved from DCH to DBHDD.²
• New DBHDD rules in 2026: enforcement (82-14-1, effective June 4), DATEP (82-10-1, effective July 19) and background checks (82-15-1, effective September 21).¹⁵
• HB 1097 (effective July 1, 2026): new background-check requirements for facility owners, employees and applicants.¹⁶
• DATEP branches opened from July 1, 2026 need their own license.⁴

Confirm these with DBHDD

• The narcotic treatment program fee, which DBHDD’s documents total differently.
• Which accreditors qualify for licensing without an on-site visit; the rule does not name them.
• Whether DCH or DBHDD handles your application during the transition, and the status of the old Chapter 111-8-19.
• For narcotic treatment programs: whether the December window is open and whether your region is at its cap.
• Licensing for children’s residential mental health and psychiatric residential treatment facilities, which remain with DCH.

Sources

1. Georgia DBHDD, Licensure information. dbhdd.georgia.gov
2. Georgia General Assembly, Summary of general statutes enacted at the 2025 session (HB 584). legis.ga.gov
3. Georgia DBHDD, Licensure rules and regulations. dbhdd.georgia.gov
4. Rules of the State of Georgia, Subject 82-10-1, Drug Abuse Treatment and Education Programs. rules.sos.ga.gov
5. Rules of the State of Georgia, Subject 111-8-53, Narcotic Treatment Programs. rules.sos.ga.gov
6. Georgia DBHDD, DATEP licensure application packet. dbhdd.georgia.gov
7. Georgia DBHDD, Forms and applications. dbhdd.georgia.gov
8. Georgia DBHDD, Licensure fees. dbhdd.georgia.gov
9. Georgia DBHDD, Narcotic treatment program application instructions. dbhdd.georgia.gov
10. Rules of the State of Georgia, Subject 82-3-1, Crisis stabilization units. rules.sos.ga.gov
11. Georgia DBHDD, Behavioral health provider welcome packet. dbhdd.georgia.gov
12. Georgia DBHDD, Provider manual for community behavioral health providers (FY 27, 2nd quarter). dbhdd.georgia.gov
13. Georgia DBHDD, Become a provider. dbhdd.georgia.gov
14. SAMHSA, Become an opioid treatment program. samhsa.gov
15. Rules of the State of Georgia, Department 82. rules.sos.ga.gov
16. Georgia General Assembly, Summary of general statutes enacted at the 2026 session (HB 1097). legis.ga.gov
17. Georgia Attorney General, Recovery residences (halfway houses). consumer.georgia.gov
18. Georgia DCH, HFRD laws and regulations. dch.georgia.gov

This guide summarizes Georgia statutes, rules and DBHDD pages as of the date above. It is general information, not legal advice. Requirements change; confirm with DBHDD before you apply.