HB110: HB110 Pawnbrokers; certain protections for current military members and related persons; provide

Georgia law currently allows pawnbrokers to make title pawns, where a borrower puts up their car or its title as collateral for a loan. This bill would add a new protection for a group called 'covered borrowers,' a term defined by federal military lending rules (32 C.F.R. Section 232.3), which generally includes active-duty service members and certain family members or dependents. The bill amends Georgia's pawnbroker law (O.C.G.A. § 44-12-137) to flatly prohibit pawnbrokers from entering into any pawn transaction involving a motor vehicle or a motor vehicle certificate of title with a covered borrower. A pawnbroker who knowingly breaks this rule would face a civil penalty equal to four times the amount of money loaned in that transaction. The Attorney General or any local district attorney could sue in court to collect that penalty. The bill also repeals any conflicting state laws.

• Adds a new rule to Georgia's pawnbroker law (O.C.G.A. § 44-12-137) banning title pawns with 'covered borrowers,' a category defined by federal military lending regulations.
• Defines 'covered borrower' by reference to 32 C.F.R. Section 232.3, which generally covers active-duty military members and certain dependents.
• Sets a civil penalty of four times the loan's principal amount for pawnbrokers who knowingly make a prohibited title pawn with a covered borrower.
• Allows the Attorney General or any district attorney to sue a violating pawnbroker in court to recover the penalty.
• Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with this new rule.

Active-duty military members and certain family members or dependents covered under federal military lending rules, along with Georgia pawnbrokers who offer title pawn loans using vehicles or vehicle titles as collateral, and the Attorney General and district attorneys who would enforce the new penalty.

Service members and their families who might otherwise pawn a car title for quick cash would lose access to that specific loan option in Georgia, while pawnbrokers would face a steep financial penalty, four times the loan amount, if they knowingly make such a loan to someone in this group.

• Section 1 adds new subsection (c) to O.C.G.A. § 44-12-137, defining 'covered borrower' using the definition in 32 C.F.R. Section 232.3.
• Section 1 prohibits pawnbrokers from conducting any pawn transaction involving a motor vehicle or a vehicle certificate of title with a covered borrower.
• Section 1 sets the civil penalty for a knowing violation at four times the principal amount advanced in the pawn transaction.
• Section 1 authorizes the Attorney General or any district attorney to bring a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction to recover the penalty.
• Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with the Act.

1. 2026-01-28House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
3. 2025-02-04House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
4. 2025-01-28House Second Readers (House)
5. 2025-01-27House First Readers (House)
6. 2025-01-17House Hopper (House)

• Josh Bonner (R, HD-073)Primary sponsor
• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)
• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)
• David Clark (R, HD-100)
• Anne Westbrook (D, HD-163)
• Karen Mathiak (R, HD-082)

• pawnbrokers
• military members' rights
• consumer protection
• title pawns
• vehicle loans