HB508: HB508 Crimes and offenses; prohibit sale, transfer, use, possession, importation, or manufacture of certain firearms and magazines

Georgia currently has no state ban on semiautomatic rifles that use high capacity magazines. This bill would add a new section to Georgia's firearms law (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-139) making it illegal to own, possess, use, sell, import, or manufacture a 'semiautomatic assault weapon,' defined as a center fire rifle that can use a magazine holding more than 20 rounds. It also bans magazines, drums, or similar devices that hold more than 20 rounds. People who already owned these weapons or magazines before July 1, 2025 could keep them if the weapon is kept in a locked container with a trigger lock. Owners could still sell or transfer a weapon they already had, but only after the buyer passes a federal background check; large capacity magazines already owned could be kept but not sold or transferred at all. Law enforcement, certain security officers, and retired peace officers are exempted. Violations are misdemeanors with escalating fines, and a third offense becomes a more serious misdemeanor with possible loss of hunting rights and forfeiture of the weapon. The law would take effect July 1, 2025.

• Makes it illegal in Georgia to sell, transfer, use, possess, import, or manufacture semiautomatic rifles that can use magazines holding more than 20 rounds, defined as 'semiautomatic assault weapons.'
• Makes it illegal to sell, transfer, use, possess, import, or manufacture magazines or similar feeding devices holding more than 20 rounds, called 'large capacity ammunition feeding devices.'
• Allows people who owned these weapons before July 1, 2025 to keep them if stored in a locked container with a trigger lock, and to sell them only after the buyer passes a federal background check.
• Allows people who owned large capacity magazines before July 1, 2025 to keep them but bans any future sale or transfer of those magazines.
• Exempts law enforcement agencies, active and retired certified peace officers, and certain nuclear facility security officers from the ban.
• Sets escalating criminal penalties: fines up to $250 and $500 for a first and second offense, and a more serious misdemeanor with possible loss of hunting rights and forfeiture of the weapon for a third offense.

Gun owners and dealers in Georgia, particularly those who own or sell semiautomatic rifles and high capacity magazines, are directly affected. Law enforcement agencies, active and retired peace officers, and certain nuclear facility security officers are exempt from the new restrictions.

If enacted, Georgians who buy or sell certain semiautomatic rifles and large magazines after July 1, 2025 could face criminal charges, while those who already own them would need to keep them locked up and follow new rules to sell them. This would be a significant change to what firearms and magazines are legal to acquire in the state.

• Section 1 lays out legislative findings that semiautomatic rifles with high capacity magazines pose a public safety threat and have been used in mass shootings.
• Section 2 adds new Code section 16-11-139 defining 'large capacity ammunition feeding device' as any device supplying more than 20 rounds and 'semiautomatic assault weapon' as a center fire rifle capable of using such a device, excluding rimfire weapons.
• Subsection (b) and (d) make it unlawful to own, possess, use, sell, import, or manufacture these weapons and magazines, with limited exceptions.
• Subsection (c) lets pre-July 1, 2025 owners keep securely stored weapons and sell or transfer them only after a dealer-run federal background check on the buyer.
• Subsection (e) lets pre-July 1, 2025 owners keep large capacity magazines but bans any sale or transfer of them going forward.
• Subsection (f) exempts law enforcement agencies, active and retired certified peace officers, and certain nuclear facility security officers from the ban.
• Subsection (h) sets penalties: misdemeanor fines of up to $250 for a first offense and $500 for a second, and a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature with possible loss of hunting rights and civil forfeiture of the weapon for a third or later offense.
• Section 3 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025.

1. 2025-02-21House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-20House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-19House Hopper (House)

• Derrick Jackson (D, HD-068)Primary sponsor
• Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)
• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)
• Eric Bell (D, HD-075)
• L.C. Myles (D, HD-126)

• gun control
• assault weapons ban
• high capacity magazines
• firearms law
• public safety