Georgia is a permitless-carry state: any adult 21 or older who is not federally prohibited from possessing a firearm may carry a handgun openly or concealed without a license, a status established by Senate Bill 319 (the 'Chairman John Meadows Act') effective April 12, 2022. Georgia still issues an optional Weapons Carry License (WCL) through county probate courts for reciprocity and federal-property use, and the WCL remains the gateway for buyers under 21 with qualifying military service. The state is a strong-preemption jurisdiction with no firearm registry, no waiting period, no state-imposed magazine limit, and no red-flag law; stand-your-ground and castle-doctrine protections are codified at O.C.G.A. §§ 16-3-23 and 16-3-23.1.
Sourced from official state legislature, AG, and ATF documents. Last verified October 16, 2026.
Yes. Any non-prohibited adult 21 or older is a 'lawful weapons carrier' under O.C.G.A. § 16-11-125.1(2.1) and may transport a handgun anywhere in a private passenger motor vehicle under § 16-11-126(c) — glove box, center console, trunk, or on the person — with no loaded/unloaded distinction.
No, not if you are at least 21 and not federally prohibited. Georgia became a permitless-carry state on April 12, 2022, when Gov. Kemp signed SB 319 (the Chairman John Meadows Act). The optional Weapons Carry License remains available for reciprocity and federal-property use.
Yes. The same statute that authorizes permitless concealed carry — O.C.G.A. § 16-11-126 — allows open carry of a handgun by any lawful weapons carrier and open carry of a long gun by any non-prohibited person. Loaded long guns no longer have to be carried 'open and fully exposed' after SB 319.
Apply to the judge of the probate court in your county of residence with a $30 statutory fee plus a $5 fingerprinting fee. There is no training requirement. The license is valid for five years and is useful for buying handguns without the NICS check at point of sale at some dealers, for reciprocity when traveling to non-permitless states, and to satisfy federal property carry rules.
Not in K-12 buildings, grounds, or at school functions — carrying a weapon in a school safety zone is a misdemeanor for a lawful weapons carrier and a felony otherwise under O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127.1. Carrying or picking up a student in a vehicle is excepted, and lawful weapons carriers may carry on public technical-school, college, or university property under the campus-carry provision in § 16-11-127.1(c)(20), with carve-outs for athletic-event buildings, student housing, preschools/childcare, faculty offices, and disciplinary-meeting rooms.
Yes. O.C.G.A. § 16-3-23.1 expressly imposes no duty to retreat for a person using force in defense of self, others, habitation, or other property under §§ 16-3-21, 16-3-23, and 16-3-24. Georgia also codifies a defense-of-habitation rule at § 16-3-23 that justifies deadly force against violent, forcible, or felony-purpose home entries.
Generally no, with important exceptions. O.C.G.A. § 16-11-135 bars public and private employers from searching locked employee vehicles in the lot or conditioning employment on no-firearms-in-vehicle agreements, provided the employee is a 'lawful weapons carrier' (which, under Georgia's broad definition, covers permitless carriers — unlike Tennessee). The protection does not apply where the employer maintains a secured, gated parking area with uniform vehicle searches, to penal/correctional facilities, critical-infrastructure sites, DoD contractors near military bases, or temporary parking lots.
No. Georgia has no duty-to-inform statute, so you are not required to tell an officer that you are carrying a weapon. SB 319 (2022) also repealed the former rule in O.C.G.A. § 16-11-137 that a license holder keep the weapons carry license in immediate possession while carrying. What remains of § 16-11-137 says a person carrying a weapon may not be detained solely to investigate whether he or she has a weapons carry license, is exempt from needing one, or is a lawful weapons carrier.
Yes, when registered under federal law. O.C.G.A. § 16-11-122 generally prohibits silencers, sawed-off shotguns/rifles (including SBRs and SBSs), machine guns, and 'dangerous weapons,' but § 16-11-124(4) exempts any person who has registered the item in accordance with the federal National Firearms Act. Practical effect: ATF-approved Form 4 transfers are fully lawful at the state level.
No. Georgia has no firearm registry, and as of HB 1018 (2024), § 16-11-129(k) prohibits any person or government entity from knowingly creating or maintaining a list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or their owners — with a carve-out for an individual keeping a record of firearms they personally own.
The biggest change was 2022's SB 319 (Act 596, signed April 12, 2022), which enacted permitless carry by introducing the 'lawful weapons carrier' concept. The same day, HB 218 (Act 597, eff. July 1, 2022) made Georgia recognize ALL out-of-state carry licenses unconditionally. In 2024, HB 1018 enacted the Georgia Firearms Industry Nondiscrimination Act and broadened the state's anti-registry rule. SB 204 in the 2025 session would have added 'storage' to preempted topics but was vetoed by Gov. Kemp in May 2026.
Federal law requires you to be 21 to buy a handgun from a federally licensed dealer (FFL) and 18 for a long gun. Georgia adds no state-level purchase age beyond the federal minimum. Private in-state transfers between non-licensed adults are not bound by the FFL minimums.
Georgia honors any other state's weapons carry license unconditionally under O.C.G.A. § 16-11-126(d)(1), as amended by HB 218 (2022). Outbound, the Georgia Attorney General's reciprocity list shows 32 states honor the Georgia WCL — AL, AK*, AZ*, AR, CO*, FL*, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA*, ME, MI, MS, MO, MT, NH, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA*, WV, WI*, WY — with the seven asterisked states recognizing only WCLs issued to persons 21 or older.
No. State law does not require a background check for private, in-state transfers between non-licensed individuals. Federally licensed dealers must run the check through the FBI's NICS — Georgia repealed its state point-of-contact status in 2005, so the check runs directly to NICS rather than through the GBI.
Depends. O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127 lets a lawful weapons carrier into a government building only when ingress is not screened by security; carrying past a screened checkpoint is a misdemeanor if a screener is a certified peace officer. Places of worship are off-limits unless the governing body opts in, with a $100 maximum fine for a lawful weapons carrier who violates. Georgia has no statutory bar on carrying a handgun in an establishment that serves alcohol, and the previous prohibition on carrying in bars by non-permit-holders was removed when SB 319 expanded the lawful-weapons-carrier definition.
Since October 9, 2026, ATF does not require federal registration or a tax stamp for suppressors or short-barreled rifles (what changed and what didn't). Georgia's own law still applies, and it is set out below.
Georgia has the hardest federal hook in the country, because it turns on the act of registration itself. Code section 16-11-122 bars possessing a silencer except as provided in § 16-11-124, and § 16-11-124(4) exempts a person authorized to possess one 'because he has registered' it under the National Firearms Act. Georgia has no separate state registry and no attorney general opinion resolving what that means for an item ATF no longer registers.
Suppressed hunting is restricted by land type, which most national guides get wrong. Code section 27-3-4(a) prohibits the use of silencers or suppressors for hunting in Georgia except on the hunter's own private property, on private property where the owner has given verifiable permission, and on public lands in areas designated by the department. A violation is a misdemeanor, and some convictions carry a three-year suspension of hunting privileges.
A sawed-off rifle sits beside the silencer in § 16-11-122, and the only civilian path is the same § 16-11-124(4) exemption keyed to having registered the item under the National Firearms Act. A Georgia district attorney is not bound by any attorney general reading of that language.
The only civilian exemption from Georgia's silencer and sawed-off rifle ban is keyed to the act of registering the item under the NFA.
"who is authorized to possess the same because he has registered"
O.C.G.A. § 16-11-124(4) (exemption for items registered under the National Firearms Act)
No person may possess a sawed-off shotgun, sawed-off rifle, machine gun, dangerous weapon or silencer except as provided in § 16-11-124.
O.C.G.A. § 16-11-122 (possession of certain weapons prohibited)
Suppressed hunting is prohibited statewide except on the hunter's own private property, on private property with verifiable owner permission, and on department-designated public land. Verified against two independent prints of the code on 2026-10-11.
"The use of silencers or suppressors for hunting within this state is prohibited; provided, however, that"
ATF stopped requiring NFA approval and registration for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and AOWs on October 9, 2026, but says the policy does not affect state or local law and that it cannot say whether an unregistered item counts as lawfully held under federal law for state-law purposes. Georgia's eight Republican U.S. House members asked Attorney General Chris Carr for a formal opinion on September 2, 2026, and FPC repeated the request on October 9, 2026. No formal opinion has been verified.
"ATF cannot opine on whether holding an unregistered firearm or silencer pursuant to ATF's enforcement discretion will qualify for state-law purposes as lawfully held (or registered) under federal law."
Checked against the statutes on October 11, 2026. Compare suppressor prices.
Any person who is not prohibited by law from possessing a handgun or long gun may carry a weapon on their person on their property or inside their home, motor vehicle, or place of business; may carry a long gun on their person generally; and as a 'lawful weapons carrier' may transport a handgun or long gun in any private passenger motor vehicle. No license is required when the carrier qualifies as a 'lawful weapons carrier' under § 16-11-125.1(2.1).
"(a) Any person who is not prohibited by law from possessing a handgun or long gun may have or carry on his or her person a weapon or long gun on his or her property or inside his or her home, motor vehicle, or place of business."
Added by SB 319 (Act 596, 2022), the definition makes 'lawful weapons carrier' the gateway concept for unlicensed carry. It includes anyone licensed under § 16-11-129 OR eligible for such a license (effectively any non-prohibited person 21+), any resident of another state who would qualify but for residency, and any person licensed to carry in any other state.
"'Lawful weapons carrier' means any person who is licensed or eligible for a license pursuant to Code Section 16-11-129 and who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing a weapon or long gun, any resident of any other state who would otherwise be eligible ... and any person licensed to carry a weapon in any other state."
The 2022 Constitutional Carry Act enacted permitless carry by adding the 'lawful weapons carrier' definition to § 16-11-125.1, striking 'without a valid weapons carry license' from § 16-11-126(a), and conforming related Code sections in Titles 12, 16, 27, and 40. Section 18 made the Act effective upon approval by the Governor; Gov. Kemp signed on April 12, 2022.
"This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval."
Senate Bill 319 (Chairman John Meadows Act), Act 596 of 2022 Ga. Laws statute
Optional Weapons Carry Licenses are issued by the judge of the probate court of the applicant's county of domicile on payment of a $30 statutory fee, plus a $5 fingerprinting fee. The license is valid for five years and authorizes carry of any weapon in any Georgia county. There is no statutory training requirement; printed safety information may be provided at the judge's discretion. Minimum age is 21, or 18 with proof of basic-training completion and active service or honorable discharge from the U.S. armed forces.
"(1) The judge of the probate court of each county shall, on application under oath, on payment of a fee of $30.00, and on investigation of the applicant pursuant to subsections (b) and (d) of this Code section, issue a weapons carry license or renewal license valid for a period of five years"
No Weapons Carry License shall be issued to any person younger than 21 years of age unless the applicant is at least 18, has completed basic training in the U.S. armed forces, and is actively serving or has been honorably discharged. The statute lists other disqualifiers including felony conviction, pending felony proceedings, fugitive status, federal § 922(g)/(n) prohibitions, certain controlled-substance offenses, recent inpatient mental-health hospitalization, and prior revocation within three years.
"(2) No weapons carry license shall be issued to: (A) Any person younger than 21 years of age unless he or she: (i) Is at least 18 years of age; (ii) Provides proof that he or she has completed basic training in the armed forces of the United States; and (iii) Provides proof that he or she is actively serving"
The federal firearm prohibitor categories incorporated by reference into Georgia's WCL disqualifier list in § 16-11-129(b)(2). Subsection (g) bars firearm possession by persons convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year, fugitives from justice, unlawful users of or persons addicted to controlled substances, persons adjudicated as mental defective or committed to a mental institution, illegal aliens and certain nonimmigrant visa holders, persons dishonorably discharged from the armed forces, persons who have renounced U.S. citizenship, persons subject to qualifying domestic-violence restraining orders, and persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Subsection (n) separately bars persons under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year from shipping, transporting, or receiving firearms in interstate commerce.
"It shall be unlawful for any person... who has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year... who is a fugitive from justice... who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance... who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or who has been committed to a mental institution... to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce, or possess in or affecting commerce, any firearm or ammunition."
18 U.S.C. § 922(g) and (n) (federal firearm prohibitors) atf
Open carry of a long gun on the person is permitted for any person not prohibited by law from possessing a long gun. Open carry of a handgun is permitted for any 'lawful weapons carrier' anywhere a weapon may be carried under § 16-11-126(c) and the prohibited-places statute § 16-11-127. SB 319 eliminated the previous requirement that a loaded long gun be carried openly.
"(b) Any person who is not prohibited by law from possessing a handgun or long gun may have or carry on his or her person a long gun."
Any 'lawful weapons carrier' may transport a handgun or long gun in any private passenger motor vehicle. There is no statutory loaded/unloaded distinction, no glove-box-only rule, and no requirement that the handgun be cased. Private property owners retain authority to exclude or eject under § 16-7-21(b)(3), subject to the employer-parking-lot exception in § 16-11-135.
"(c) Any person who is a lawful weapons carrier may transport a handgun or long gun in any private passenger motor vehicle; provided, however, that private property owners or persons in legal control of private property ... shall have the right to exclude or eject a person who is in possession of a weapon or long gun"
Georgia's criminal-trespass statute is the enforcement mechanism for private property owners excluding armed persons. Subsection (b)(3) makes it a misdemeanor for a person to remain on the land or premises of another after receiving notice from the owner, rightful occupant, or an authorized representative to depart. Combined with § 16-11-126(c)'s preservation of private property rights, this is what makes 'no weapons' signage and verbal exclusion enforceable against an otherwise lawful weapons carrier.
"A person commits the offense of criminal trespass when he or she knowingly and without authority... remains upon the land or premises of another person... after receiving notice from the owner, rightful occupant, or, upon proper identification, an authorized representative of the owner or rightful occupant to depart."
Georgia's guns-in-trunks statute prohibits public and private employers from searching the locked privately owned vehicles of employees in the employer parking lot and from conditioning employment on an agreement barring the employee from entering the parking lot with a firearm or ammunition locked out of sight, provided the employee is a 'lawful weapons carrier.' Because 'lawful weapons carrier' under § 16-11-125.1(2.1) covers any non-prohibited person eligible for a WCL, permitless carriers ARE protected — unlike Tennessee, where the parallel statute protects permit holders only. Exceptions exist for secure parking facilities with uniform search policies, penal institutions, certain critical-infrastructure sites, and DoD contractors near military bases.
"no private or public employer ... shall condition employment upon any agreement by a prospective employee that prohibits an employee from entering the parking lot ... when the employee's privately owned motor vehicle contains a firearm or ammunition, or both, that is locked out of sight ... provided that any such prospective employee is a lawful weapons carrier."
As amended in 2022 (SB 319, Act 596, and HB 218, Act 597), § 16-11-126(d)(1) recognizes any out-of-state weapons carry license without requiring the issuing state to reciprocate. The out-of-state licensee must carry in compliance with Georgia law, and no other state is required to recognize a Georgia license issued to a person under 21. Subsection (d)(2) has the Attorney General publish the list of states that honor Georgia's license.
"(1) Any person licensed to carry a weapon in any other state shall be authorized to carry a weapon in this state; provided, however, that: (A) Such licensee licensed to carry a weapon in any other state shall carry the weapon in compliance with the laws of this state"
The Georgia Attorney General maintains the official outbound-reciprocity list under § 16-11-126(d)(2). As of the most recent publication, 32 states honor a Georgia WCL: AL, AK*, AZ*, AR, CO*, FL*, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA*, ME, MI, MS, MO, MT, NH, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA*, WV, WI*, and WY. The seven asterisked states (AK, AZ, CO, FL, LA, VA, WI) recognize only Georgia licenses issued to persons 21 or older.
"Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Virginia and Wisconsin recognize only those Georgia licenses issued to persons twenty one years of age or older."
Georgia Attorney General — States Which Recognize a Georgia Weapons Carry License ag
Georgia's defense-of-habitation statute justifies the use of deadly force to prevent or terminate an unlawful entry into a residence in three scenarios: a violent or tumultuous entry attempt with reason to believe the entrant intends personal violence; entry by a non-family/non-household member after unlawful and forcible entry of the residence; or reasonable belief that the entry is for the purpose of committing a felony.
"A person is justified in threatening or using force against another when and to the extent that he or she reasonably believes that such threat or force is necessary to prevent or terminate such other's unlawful entry into or attack upon a habitation"
O.C.G.A. § 16-3-23 — as rewritten by SB 160 (2001), Act 385, § 2 (enrolled text, legis.ga.gov) statute
Georgia is a stand-your-ground state by statute. A person who is using force in accordance with § 16-3-21 (self-defense or defense of others), § 16-3-23 (defense of habitation), or § 16-3-24 (defense of other property) has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and use force as provided in those sections, including deadly force.
"A person who uses threats or force in accordance with Code Section 16-3-21, ... 16-3-23, ... or 16-3-24, relating to the use of force in defense of property other than a habitation, has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and use force as provided in said Code sections, including deadly force."
O.C.G.A. § 16-3-23.1 — enacted by SB 396 (2006), Act 599, § 1 (enrolled text, legis.ga.gov) statute
Section 16-3-21 is Georgia's underlying self-defense statute, referenced by the stand-your-ground provision in § 16-3-23.1. A person is justified in using force, including deadly force, when and to the extent the person reasonably believes the force is necessary to defend himself, herself, or a third person against another's imminent use of unlawful force. Deadly force is justified only to prevent death, great bodily injury, or the commission of a forcible felony.
"(a) A person is justified in threatening or using force against another when and to the extent that he or she reasonably believes that such threat or force is necessary to defend himself or herself or a third person against such other's imminent use of unlawful force"
Section 16-3-24 is Georgia's defense-of-property statute, also referenced by the stand-your-ground provision. A person is justified in threatening or using force, but not deadly force, against another when and to the extent the person reasonably believes the force is necessary to prevent or terminate another's trespass on or other tortious or criminal interference with real property other than a habitation, or personal property lawfully in the person's possession.
"(a) A person is justified in threatening or using force against another when and to the extent that he reasonably believes that such threat or force is necessary to prevent or terminate such other's trespass on or other tortious or criminal interference with real property other than a habitation or personal property: (1) Lawfully in his possession"
Georgia has no statutory duty for a person to volunteer to a law enforcement officer that they are carrying a firearm; no such provision appears in the carry statutes (O.C.G.A. §§ 16-11-125.1 through 16-11-137). SB 319 (2022) also repealed the former § 16-11-137(a) rule that a license holder keep the license, or proof of exemption, in immediate possession while carrying; what remains of § 16-11-137 bars detaining a person carrying a weapon solely to investigate whether he or she is licensed, exempt, or a lawful weapons carrier.
"A person carrying a weapon shall not be subject to detention for the sole purpose of investigating whether such person has a weapons carry license, whether such person is exempt from having a weapons carry license ... or whether such person is a lawful weapons carrier as defined in Code Section 16-11-125.1."
Carrying a weapon or long gun is a misdemeanor when done (1) in a government building without being a lawful weapons carrier (with a screening-checkpoint elevation for any carrier under subsection (e)), (2) in a courthouse, (3) in a jail or prison, (4) in a place of worship unless the governing body opts in, (5) in an involuntary-admission state mental health facility, (6) on a nuclear power facility's premises, or (7) within 150 feet of a polling place during elections.
"a person shall be guilty of carrying a weapon or long gun in an unauthorized location and punished as for a misdemeanor when he or she carries a weapon or long gun while: (1) In a government building without being a lawful weapons carrier; (2) In a courthouse; (3) In a jail or prison; (4) In a place of worship"
A lawful weapons carrier may carry a weapon in a government building when the building is open for business and ingress is not restricted or screened by security personnel. Attempting to enter through a security checkpoint while armed becomes a misdemeanor if at least one screener is a certified peace officer; immediately exiting upon notification is a complete defense.
"(1) A lawful weapons carrier shall be authorized to carry a weapon in a government building when the government building is open for business and where ingress into such building is not restricted or screened by security personnel."
It is unlawful to carry a weapon to or possess one within a 'school safety zone' (real property of any K-12 or postsecondary school) or at a school function or on a school bus. A non-lawful-weapons-carrier violator faces a felony (2-10 years; fine up to $10,000); a lawful weapons carrier faces a misdemeanor (with a narrower felony for postsecondary violations). Statutory exceptions include carrying or picking up a student in or with a vehicle (paragraph (c)(7)-(8)), and — for public postsecondary institutions — a 'campus carry' exception in paragraph (c)(20) for lawful weapons carriers, subject to carve-outs for athletic-event buildings, student housing, preschool/childcare space, faculty/staff/administrative offices, and disciplinary-meeting rooms.
"it shall be unlawful for any person to carry to or to possess or have under such person's control while within a school safety zone, at a school function, or on a bus or other transportation furnished by a school any weapon or explosive compound"
No person may knowingly enter the restricted access area of a commercial-service airport — at or beyond the security screening checkpoint — while possessing or having control of a weapon or long gun. Non-restricted areas (drives, general parking, walkways, shops outside the checkpoint) are not covered. A license holder who is notified at the checkpoint and immediately leaves is not in violation; violations with intent to commit a separate felony are punishable as a felony (1-10 years and $1,000-$15,000 fine).
"No person shall enter the restricted access area of a commercial service airport, in or beyond the airport security screening checkpoint, knowingly possessing or knowingly having under his or her control a weapon or long gun."
O.C.G.A. § 16-11-130.2 (commercial-service airports) statute
Section 16-11-127.2 supplies the special penalty regime for the nuclear-power-facility prohibition referenced in § 16-11-127(b)(6). Carrying, possessing, or having under one's control a weapon or long gun on the premises of a nuclear power facility is a misdemeanor under subsection (a). It becomes a felony under subsection (b) only when done with the intent to do bodily harm on the premises, punishable by a fine of up to $10,000, two to 20 years' imprisonment, or both. Subsection (c) exempts security officers authorized under § 16-11-124 acting in their official duties on the premises.
"(b) Any person who violates subsection (a) of this Code section with the intent to do bodily harm on the premises of a nuclear power facility shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000, by imprisonment for not less than two nor more than 20 years"
Section 21-2-413(i) is the Elections Code counterpart to the polling-place carry ban in § 16-11-127(b)(7): no one may carry a firearm within 150 feet of any polling place except peace officers regularly employed by the federal, state, county, or municipal government, or certified security guards. (The separate 150-foot ban on soliciting votes, campaign material, and exit polling is in subsection (e) of the same section, not subsection (i).)
"(i) No person except peace officers regularly employed by the federal, state, county, or municipal government or certified security guards shall be permitted to carry firearms within 150 feet of any polling place as provided for in subsection (b) of Code Section 16-11-127."
Georgia is not a NICS 'point-of-contact' state — it repealed point-of-contact status in 2005, so federally licensed dealers run firearm background checks directly through the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The Georgia Crime Information Center contributes criminal-history, wanted-person, and involuntary-hospitalization records that NICS queries. No state law requires background checks for private, in-state transfers between non-licensed individuals.
"Georgia Crime Information Center"
Georgia Bureau of Investigation — Georgia Crime Information Center ag
Federal law requires that handguns be purchased from a federally licensed dealer only by buyers 21 or older, and long guns at 18. Georgia imposes no additional state purchase-age requirement beyond federal law; private in-state transfers between non-licensed individuals are not bound by these federal minimums.
"A licensee may not sell a handgun to anyone under the age of 21. A licensee may not sell a long gun to anyone under the age of 18."
18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(1) (federal) / O.C.G.A. Title 16, Chapter 11 (no additional state purchase-age) atf
Georgia does not require firearm registration. HB 1018 (2024) expanded the state's anti-registry rule in § 16-11-129(k) to bar any person or government entity from knowingly and willfully creating or maintaining a multijurisdictional database of WCL applicants/holders, OR keeping any list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or their owners (with a carve-out preserving the right of an individual to keep a record of firearms they personally own).
"No person or government entity shall knowingly and willfully: (A) Create or maintain a multijurisdictional data base regarding persons issued or who have applied for weapons carry licenses; or (B) Keep, or cause to be kept, any list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or owners of such firearms."
O.C.G.A. § 16-11-129(k) (as amended by HB 1018, 2024) statute
Georgia has not enacted a red-flag / extreme risk protection order (ERPO) statute. SB 92 of the 2025-2026 Regular Session would have created the 'Georgia Red Flag Protective Order Act' authorizing court-ordered firearm surrender, but the bill has not been enacted as of June 2026.
"Georgia Red Flag Protective Order Act"
Georgia has no state assault-weapon ban. The preemption statute reserves the regulation of firearms, ammunition, and components to the General Assembly and bars any county, municipality, agency, board, school district, or political subdivision from regulating gun shows, possession, ownership, transport, carry, transfer, sale, purchase, licensing, or registration of firearms.
"no county or municipal corporation, by zoning, by ordinance or resolution, or by any other means, nor any agency, board, department, commission, political subdivision, school district, or authority of this state, other than the General Assembly, by rule or regulation or by any other means shall regulate in any manner: (A) Gun shows; (B) The possession"
Georgia imposes no magazine-capacity limit, and § 16-11-173 preempts local governments from imposing one. The statute reserves regulation of 'components of firearms or other weapons' — which includes magazines — exclusively to the General Assembly.
"no county or municipal corporation ... nor any agency ... of this state, other than the General Assembly, by rule or regulation or by any other means shall regulate in any manner: ... (B) The possession, ownership, transport, carrying, transfer, sale, purchase, licensing, or registration of firearms or other weapons or components of firearms or other weapons"
Georgia generally prohibits possession of any sawed-off shotgun, sawed-off rifle, machine gun, silencer, or 'dangerous weapon' (rocket launchers, mortars, grenades, recoilless rifles as defined in § 16-11-121), except as exempted in § 16-11-124.
"No person shall have in his possession any sawed-off shotgun, sawed-off rifle, machine gun, dangerous weapon, or silencer except as provided in Code § 16-11-124."
Possession of a sawed-off shotgun, sawed-off rifle, machine gun, dangerous weapon, or silencer is fully exempt from the state prohibition for any person who has registered the item in accordance with the federal National Firearms Act. In practice, suppressors, SBRs, SBSs, and machine guns with proper ATF Form 4 / NFA registration are lawful to possess in Georgia.
"Possession of a sawed-off shotgun, sawed-off rifle, machine gun, dangerous weapon, or silencer by a person who is authorized to possess the same because he has registered the sawed-off shotgun, sawed-off rifle, machine gun, dangerous weapon, or silencer in accordance with the dictates of the National Firearms Act"
Suppressors, short-barreled rifles (SBRs), short-barreled shotguns (SBSs), and machine guns are regulated under the federal National Firearms Act and require ATF registration.
"The National Firearms Act (NFA) imposes a statutory excise tax on the manufacture and transfer of certain firearms and mandates the registration of those firearms."
Section 16-11-121 is the definitions section for Article 4, Part 2 of Chapter 11 (the 'Georgia Firearms and Weapons Act', §§ 16-11-120 through 16-11-125, Georgia's NFA-equivalent possession rules). 'Dangerous weapon' is defined to include rocket launchers, bazookas, recoilless rifles, mortars, and hand grenades. 'Machine gun' (automatically more than 6 shots by a single function of the trigger), 'sawed-off rifle' (barrel under 16 inches or overall length under 26 inches), 'sawed-off shotgun' (barrel under 18 inches or overall length under 26 inches), and 'silencer' are also defined here and incorporated into the § 16-11-122 possession prohibition.
"(1) "Dangerous weapon" means any weapon commonly known as a "rocket launcher," "bazooka," or "recoilless rifle" which fires explosive or nonexplosive rockets designed to injure or kill personnel or destroy heavy armor, or similar weapon used for such purpose. The term shall also mean a weapon commonly known as a "mortar""
Georgia broadly preempts local firearm regulation. Counties, municipalities, agencies, boards, school districts, and other political subdivisions may not regulate gun shows, dealers, or firearm possession/ownership/transport/carry/transfer/sale/licensing/registration. Limited exceptions allow local regulation of employee/volunteer firearm policies, reasonable limits on discharge within city/county boundaries, and head-of-household ownership requirements. Aggrieved persons may sue and recover actual damages or $100 (whichever is greater) plus attorney fees.
"(1) It is declared by the General Assembly that the regulation of firearms and other weapons is properly an issue of general, state-wide concern."
SB 319 enacted permitless carry by introducing the 'lawful weapons carrier' definition in § 16-11-125.1(2.1) and conforming § 16-11-126 to allow any non-prohibited adult to carry a weapon without a license. Signed by Gov. Kemp April 12, 2022; effective immediately on the same date per Section 18.
"This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval."
Senate Bill 319, Act 596 of 2022 Ga. Laws ('Chairman John Meadows Act') statute
HB 218 amended § 16-11-126(d) (then (e)) to strike the requirement that an out-of-state license come from a state that reciprocates with Georgia. Effective July 1, 2022, Georgia recognizes any other state's weapons carry license without a reciprocity agreement, subject only to compliance with Georgia law while carrying.
"Any person licensed to carry a weapon in any other state shall be authorized to carry a weapon in this state."
House Bill 218, Act 597 of 2022 Ga. Laws (universal reciprocity) statute
HB 1018 added Part 7 (§§ 10-1-439 through 10-1-439.4) prohibiting financial institutions from requiring or discriminating based on a firearms-specific Merchant Category Code, and amended O.C.G.A. § 16-11-129(k) to broaden the database/registry prohibition: no person or government entity may knowingly and willfully create or maintain a multijurisdictional database of WCL applicants or holders, or keep any list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or owners (with an individual-ownership carve-out). Signed April 22, 2024; effective July 1, 2024.
"No person or government entity shall knowingly and willfully: (A) Create or maintain a multijurisdictional data base regarding persons issued or who have applied for weapons carry licenses; or (B) Keep, or cause to be kept, any list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or owners of such firearms."
House Bill 1018, 2024 Ga. Laws — Georgia Firearms Industry Nondiscrimination Act statute
Part 7 of Article 15 of Chapter 1 of Title 10, named the 'Georgia Firearms Industry Nondiscrimination Act' (§ 10-1-439), defines key terms (§ 10-1-439.1) including 'firearms code' (Merchant Category Code 5723) and 'firearms retailer,' makes it an unlawful discriminatory practice for any financial institution to require usage of a firearms code that distinguishes firearms retailers from general merchandise retailers or to decline a lawful payment-card transaction based solely on the firearms code (§ 10-1-439.2(b)-(c)), and authorizes the Attorney General to investigate alleged violations and seek injunctive relief plus civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation (§ 10-1-439.3). Part does not apply to federally chartered institutions where federal law preempts (§ 10-1-439.4).
"It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any financial institution to require the usage of a firearms code in a way that distinguishes a firearms retailer that is physically located in this state from general merchandise retailers or sporting goods retailers, unless such required usage of a firearms code is based on a good faith conclusion that such action is required by applicable law or regulation."
HB 1018 enacted Part 7 of Article 15 of Chapter 1 of Title 10 (O.C.G.A. §§ 10-1-439 through 10-1-439.4) barring financial institutions from requiring or discriminating based on a firearms-specific Merchant Category Code and providing Attorney General enforcement. Section 2 amended § 16-11-129(k) to prohibit any person or government entity from knowingly creating or maintaining a multijurisdictional database of WCL applicants/holders or keeping any list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or their owners (with an individual-ownership carve-out). Signed by Gov. Kemp April 22, 2024.
HB 218 amended § 16-11-126(d) (formerly (e)) to delete the precondition that the issuing state recognize Georgia's WCL. Effective July 1, 2022, Georgia recognizes any out-of-state weapons carry license, subject only to the licensee's compliance with Georgia law and to the rule that other states need not honor Georgia licenses held by persons under 21.
SB 319 created the 'lawful weapons carrier' concept in O.C.G.A. § 16-11-125.1(2.1), capturing any non-prohibited person eligible for a Weapons Carry License plus any out-of-state license holder. It conformed § 16-11-126 to remove the license requirement for handgun carry by such persons and updated about 15 related Code sections governing parks, school zones, hunting/fishing areas, parking lots, courthouses, and public transportation. Per Section 18, the Act became effective on the Governor's approval on April 12, 2022.
Carrying a weapon to or within a 'school safety zone' (any K-12, technical, vocational, college, or university property), at a school function, or on a school bus is a misdemeanor for a lawful weapons carrier and a felony (2-10 years; fine up to $10,000) for anyone else. Statutory exceptions include carrying or picking up a student in or with a vehicle and — for public postsecondary institutions only — a lawful-weapons-carrier campus-carry exception with carve-outs for athletic-event buildings, student housing, preschool/childcare areas, faculty offices, and disciplinary-meeting rooms.
Carrying a weapon or long gun in a courthouse — defined as a building occupied by judicial courts containing rooms in which judicial proceedings are held — is a misdemeanor under O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127(b)(2). The exception in subsection (d)(3) lets a lawful weapons carrier secure the weapon in a locked vehicle compartment in a parking facility.
A lawful weapons carrier may carry in a government building only when the building is open for business and ingress is NOT restricted or screened by security personnel. Attempting to pass a screened checkpoint while armed is a misdemeanor if at least one screener is a certified peace officer; immediately exiting upon notification is a complete defense.
Carrying a weapon or long gun within 150 feet of a polling place during an election is a misdemeanor, subject to the law-enforcement exception in O.C.G.A. § 21-2-413(i).
Carrying a weapon or long gun in a place of worship is a misdemeanor UNLESS the governing body of the place of worship affirmatively permits the carrying of weapons by lawful weapons carriers. A lawful weapons carrier who violates the rule is not arrested but is fined not more than $100; a non-lawful-weapons-carrier violator is punished as for a misdemeanor.
Carrying a weapon or long gun in a jail or prison is a misdemeanor under O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127(b)(3).
Carrying a weapon or long gun in a state mental health facility that admits individuals involuntarily for treatment of mental illness, developmental disability, or addictive disease is a misdemeanor. The vehicle-storage exception in subsection (d)(3) still applies.
Possessing a weapon or long gun beyond the TSA security screening checkpoint at a commercial-service airport is a misdemeanor. Public areas of the terminal outside the checkpoint, drives, walkways, and general parking are not restricted areas. A license holder who is notified at the checkpoint and immediately leaves is not in violation; violations with intent to commit a separate felony are punishable as a felony (1-10 years; $1,000-$15,000 fine).
Possessing a weapon or long gun on the premises of a nuclear power facility is governed by O.C.G.A. §§ 16-11-127(b)(6) and 16-11-127.2 — the special penalty provisions of § 16-11-127.2 supersede the general misdemeanor punishment in § 16-11-127.
Private property owners and persons in legal control of private property through a lease, rental agreement, licensing agreement, or contract have the right to exclude or eject a person who is in possession of a weapon or long gun, per O.C.G.A. § 16-11-126(c) and § 16-7-21(b)(3). Refusal to leave when asked subjects the person to criminal trespass liability. The employer-parking-lot exception in § 16-11-135 limits this right with respect to firearms locked out of sight in an employee's personal vehicle.
Every fact on this page is paired with a citation to the underlying statute, attorney general guidance, court opinion, or ATF document. We do not rely on summaries from advocacy organizations as primary sources. Last verified October 16, 2026 against the official sources.
This page is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. We are not attorneys and nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. Gun laws are complex, change frequently, and are interpreted differently across jurisdictions and individual fact patterns.
Before relying on any information on this page — to carry a firearm, purchase a firearm, travel across state lines, or respond to a self-defense situation — you should:
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