Georgia passed Senate Bill 147 in 2025 with unanimous support in the legislature. That unanimity matters. It is not common for the full Georgia General Assembly to agree on anything, and they agreed on this: people leaving Georgia prisons need to leave with their birth certificate, their Social Security card, their vocational training records, their work history, and their resume -- not just a release date and a bus ticket.
SB 147 codified what the Georgia Department of Corrections and Department of Driver Services had already been building since 2016: a systematic process to get returning citizens out of the gate with real identification in hand. Over 21,000 state ID cards and driver's licenses had been issued through the GDC/DDS partnership by 2019 alone. The new law accelerates and expands that foundation.
Here is what the system now requires, and what you need to do on your end.
What GDC Provides at Release
Under SB 147 and the ongoing GDC/DDS partnership, the Georgia Department of Corrections must provide the following to people releasing from Georgia state prisons:
A DDS Identification Card or renewed Driver's License -- issued before release, not after. GDC works with the Georgia Department of Driver Services Mobile Licensing Issuance Unit, which travels directly to GDC facilities to process the cards. You receive a real, valid state-issued photo ID before you leave.
A certified copy of your birth certificate. A Social Security card. Vocational training records and work history from your time inside. A resume.
The ID program operates in phases. Phase 1 covers people who previously had a DDS record with valid facial and signature images on file -- straightforward reissue. Phase 2 covers people who have a DDS record but need Real ID documentation -- GDC helps secure the original birth certificate and Social Security documentation, then DDS provides the updated card. Ask your transitional case manager where you fall and what has been initiated for your release.
If you are in a GDC Transitional Center -- one of the 12 Reentry and Cognitive Programming Centers operating statewide -- the reentry process is embedded in your daily program. If you are releasing directly from a state prison, the 6-month pre-release window is when GDC is required to begin this process.
Getting Your Georgia State ID After Release
If you release without a DDS ID card for any reason, go to any Georgia DDS office. Find locations at dds.georgia.gov. Standard non-driver ID fees apply for new applicants who did not receive one through the GDC program.
To get a Georgia state ID or driver's license, you will need documents establishing your identity, Social Security number, and Georgia residency. Your GDC release documentation serves as a supporting identity document. Bring your birth certificate (which GDC should have provided), your Social Security card (also provided under SB 147), and proof of a Georgia address.
Getting Your Social Security Card
Under SB 147, GDC must provide your Social Security card or assist in obtaining a replacement before your release. Confirm with your case manager that this has been done.
If for any reason you do not have your Social Security card at release, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213, apply online at ssa.gov, or visit your nearest SSA office. Replacement cards are free.
Getting Your Birth Certificate
Under SB 147 and Georgia's mandatory birth certificate statute, GDC must assist you in obtaining a certified copy of your birth certificate. Confirm with your case manager that your birth certificate has been secured.
If you were born in Georgia and need to request one yourself, contact the Georgia Department of Public Health Vital Records office at ph.georgia.gov or call (404) 679-4702. Certified copies are $25 each.
If you were born in another state, contact that state's vital records office.
Medicaid
Georgia has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Georgia Medicaid is narrowly available -- not to low-income adults generally, but to specific eligible groups including:
Parents and caretakers of dependent children meeting income thresholds. Pregnant women. People with disabilities who qualify for SSI. People 65 or older with limited income. Children under 19 meeting income requirements.
Georgia Medicaid is administered by the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH). Apply through the Georgia Gateway portal at gateway.ga.gov, by phone at 1-877-423-4746, or at your local Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) office.
Georgia received a CMS Medicaid continuity of care planning grant in 2025, which is building infrastructure for the January 1, 2026 federal requirement that Medicaid be suspended rather than terminated during incarceration and reactivated upon release. Ask your case manager before release whether your Medicaid status has been flagged for reinstatement, or whether you need to submit a new application.
If you are not eligible for Georgia Medicaid, options for healthcare include federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and community health centers, which provide care on a sliding-fee scale regardless of insurance status. Find the nearest one at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.
SNAP: Food Assistance
Georgia's SNAP program is administered by DFCS within the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS). Apply through Georgia Gateway at gateway.ga.gov, by phone at 1-877-423-4746, or at your local DFCS office.
Georgia does not impose a lifetime ban on SNAP for people with felony drug convictions -- Georgia has opted out of the federal drug felony ban, meaning a drug conviction does not automatically disqualify you from SNAP in Georgia. You are generally eligible to apply immediately after release if you meet income and residency requirements.
Benefits are typically issued on an EBT card within 30 days of a completed application. Expedited SNAP for households with immediate need can be issued within 7 days.
SSI and SSDI
SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) are federal programs available if you have a qualifying disability.
SSI payments are suspended after one full calendar month of incarceration. If you were incarcerated for less than 12 consecutive months, SSI can be reinstated the month you are released -- contact SSA immediately. If incarcerated 12 or more consecutive months, file a new application.
SSDI payments are suspended after 30 continuous days of incarceration following conviction. Contact SSA with your release documents for reinstatement.
If you qualify for SSI, Georgia Medicaid eligibility typically follows SSI eligibility automatically. Contact DFCS and SSA on the same day when you apply.
Veterans Benefits
If you served in the U.S. military, the Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provide benefits after release. Contact GDVS at veterans.georgia.gov or the nearest VA facility.
The VA Healthcare for Re-Entry Veterans (HCRV) program provides transitional case management for veterans leaving incarceration. VA benefits suspended during incarceration can be reinstated -- notify the VA of your release date and bring your DD-214 and release documents.
Georgia has VA medical centers in Atlanta, Augusta, and Dublin, and numerous community-based outpatient clinics statewide. GDVS county service officers across Georgia assist with VA benefits applications at no charge.
Reentry and Cognitive Programming Centers
Georgia operates 12 Reentry and Cognitive Programming Centers statewide with 2,344 transitional beds, two of which are designated for women. These centers provide work release -- you hold a paying job in the community while living in the center -- along with cognitive behavioral programming, life skills, and reentry preparation. Selection is based on referral from the Board of Pardons and Paroles or the Classification Committee, based on criminal history, behavior, and release date.
If you have not been referred to a Transitional Center and believe you may be eligible, ask your counselor or classification officer before your release date.
Start Before You Leave
Georgia's six-month pre-release window is when GDC is required to begin the ID, birth certificate, and Social Security card process under SB 147. If your release is within six months and none of this has been started, raise it immediately with your transitional case manager.
Ask specifically: Has my DDS ID card or driver's license been initiated through the mobile unit? Has my birth certificate been requested? Has my Social Security card been secured? Have my vocational training records and work history been compiled?
On release day, you should have your DDS ID, birth certificate, Social Security card, and a resume. Take those documents directly to your local DFCS office or apply at Georgia Gateway at gateway.ga.gov to apply for SNAP and, if eligible, Medicaid in one visit.
Georgia's unanimous bipartisan commitment to SB 147 is a signal. The state recognizes that equipping people with the basics at the gate reduces recidivism and strengthens communities. The tools are there. Use them.