MACON, Ga. — Countless jobs require a professional license like occupational therapy, cosmetology and funeral directors. To do these jobs, you'll need to get official approval from the state.
According to Gabriel Sterling, the director of the Georgia Secretary of State's Office's Professional Licensing Board, new software went live in October to process applications for license renewals.
The software is called GOALS. It stands for Georgia Online Application Licensing System.
Sterling says people are having trouble logging in because they haven't updated their profile information. That could include their maiden name, an address change or a company name. He says the best way to resolve the problem is to send an email.
"That way, you have a verifiable time that you send in your issues, we can go back and find those emails and work on those. If you call in, it is sort of in the ether unless somebody has written it down, which they are supposed to, but we have a high volume right now, and doing the back and forth by via email is much better," Sterling said.
Robert Daniels is the owner of Central Georgia Crematory and Daniels Transportation. He says the professional license renewal process is completed online, and he always makes sure he is up to date on his information.
He says without his license, he can't do his job. However, Sterling says some workers who are having trouble renewing or applying haven't provided the necessary information.
"They have not uploaded the documents yet and that is the biggest single thing getting in the way of moving it forward," Sterling said.
Sterling says more than 6,300 people have applied for licenses in Georgia and about 2,400 of them have not put in all their information. He says that's why those people are having trouble. But because it's a new system, he says to be patient.
"One of the big ones right now is cosmetologists because they have multiple licenses, usually a master cosmetology and a salon license. We are going to manually merge those in the order in which they come in," Sterling said.
Sterling says people are calling and having to wait a long time to speak with someone because their office is understaffed. He says his workers are putting in more hours to help Georgians who are having trouble.
Andrea Jackson is the owner of House of Hair in Macon. She has been doing hair for more than 20 years.
She says having that license lets her customers know she is the real deal.
"It solidifies that you have been through a series of courses," Jackson said.
Sterling says the best solution to the problem is to use the original information you used when you first got the license, and if you're still having trouble, send an email.
"That way, you have a verifiable time that you send in your issues, we can go back and find those emails and work on those," Sterling said.
Some deadlines for renewing cosmetology, funeral directors and occupational therapy licenses has been extended to April 30.
For contact information for the Professional Licensing Board, click here.