§ 19-13-11.Fee for certification application; valid period of certification
Chapter 13. Family Violence · Article 1A. Family Violence Intervention · Last amended 2002 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-13-11
Plain-English Summary
This short section concerns the business side of family violence intervention programs. The Department of Community Supervision must charge a fee to consider applications for certification of programs and of instructors. The State Commission on Family Violence sets the amount, aiming as best it can to match what the department spends to review an application.
A certification lasts two years, unless it is suspended or revoked before then. Section 19-13-14(e) gives the department power to deny, suspend or revoke a certificate and to discipline programs that don’t follow its rules. Section 19-13-14(d) adds a separate written commitment: a program won’t be certified unless its owner agrees in writing to pay the state a fee, set by the commission, for the costs of administration. Programs run by the department and the State Board of Pardons and Paroles are exempt from the fee provisions for obtaining certification.
For people ordered into a program, the practical point is that certification is current only for a limited time. The department keeps a public list of certified programs under § 19-13-14(f). This section has not been amended since its 2002 enactment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a family violence intervention program certification valid in Georgia?
Two years, unless the certification is suspended or revoked before that period ends. The same rule applies to certifications of programs and of instructors. Under § 19-13-14(e), the department may suspend or revoke a certificate for a program that isn’t complying with its rules.
Who sets the fee to certify a family violence intervention program in Georgia?
The State Commission on Family Violence sets it, and the Department of Community Supervision charges it. The commission is to set the fee, as best it can determine, to approximate the expense the department incurs in considering an application. The statute doesn’t state a dollar amount.
Do family violence intervention program instructors need certification in Georgia?
This section contemplates it: it requires a fee for applications for certification of family violence intervention programs and instructors. Section 19-13-13(b) also makes the department responsible for approving and certifying programs and staff. The department’s rules set the details, and any certification, once granted, is valid for two years unless suspended or revoked.
Can a family violence program lose its certification before two years?
Yes. Certification is valid for two years unless suspended or revoked before then. Section 19-13-14(e) gives the department authority to deny, suspend or revoke a certificate, or to sanction a program that isn’t complying with its rules, and requires the department to set up methods of appeal.
Do state-run family violence programs pay the certification fee?
No. Under § 19-13-14(d), all programs operated by the Department of Community Supervision and the State Board of Pardons and Paroles are exempt from the fee provisions relating to obtaining certification. Other applicants pay the fee this section requires, in an amount the State Commission on Family Violence sets to approximate the department’s cost of reviewing an application.
Amendment History
Laws 2002, p. 1435, § 3.