HB270: HB270 Eviction Service and Airplane Evictions Act; enact

Under current Georgia law, when a landlord files an eviction (called a dispossessory proceeding) against a tenant, the court issues a summons that must be delivered by a sheriff, a deputy, or a county constable. House Bill 270, called the 'Eviction Service Act,' amends that law (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-51) to also let an approved process server deliver the summons and the affidavit that starts the case. The bill keeps the existing backup delivery rules: if the sheriff, constable, or process server cannot hand the papers to the tenant directly, they can leave them with another adult living on the property, or, if no one is home, post the notice on the door and mail a copy by first-class mail to the tenant's last known address. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but does not state a separate effective date, so it would take effect under Georgia's standard rules for newly signed legislation.

• Adds 'an approved process server' as a person legally allowed to deliver eviction summonses and affidavits, alongside sheriffs, deputies, and constables.
• Keeps the existing fallback delivery method: leaving papers with an adult resident of the property if the tenant cannot be found.
• Keeps the existing fallback of posting the summons on the door and mailing a copy by first-class mail if no resident is found.
• Names the law the 'Eviction Service Act' as its official short title.
• Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with this change.

Landlords and property owners filing eviction cases, tenants facing eviction, sheriffs and county constables who currently serve eviction papers, and private process servers who would gain new legal authority to deliver these court documents.

Landlords in Georgia often wait on sheriffs' offices, which handle many types of legal paperwork, to serve eviction notices. Allowing approved process servers to do this could speed up how quickly tenants are formally notified of eviction proceedings against them.

• Section 1 gives the Act its short title, the 'Eviction Service Act.'
• Section 2 revises subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 44-7-51 to add 'an approved process server' to the list of people who can serve an eviction summons, alongside the sheriff, deputy, or a county constable.
• Section 2 preserves the existing rule that if personal service fails, papers can be left with a resident adult on the premises or posted on the door with a mailed copy sent the same day.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting Georgia laws.

1. 2025-05-14Effective Date 2025-07-01
2. 2025-05-14Act 255
3. 2025-05-14House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-31Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-31Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2025-03-31Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
8. 2025-03-31Senate Tabled (Senate)

• Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)Primary sponsor
• Rob Leverett (R, HD-123)
• Beth Camp (R, HD-135)
• Deborah Silcox (R, HD-053)
• David Jenkins (R, HD-136)
• Trey Kelley (R, HD-016)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 6, 2025

   172 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 5 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #263

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2025

   49 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 4 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #364

• evictions
• landlord-tenant law
• court process serving
• housing