---
title: HB 1076. Crimes and offenses; create felony offense of obstruction of a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1076
cite_as: HB 1076, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1076
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1076.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1076/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72502
date: 2026-03-25
status: engrossed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1075.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1077.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 644
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1076.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1076
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-03-03
last_action: Senate Read Second Time
sponsors:
- Ginny Ehrhart
- James Burchett
- Clint Crowe
- Steven Sainz
- Tyler Smith
- David Jenkins
- Jason T. Dickerson
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1076/2025
upstream_id: 2100274
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- law enforcement
- criminal penalties
- obstruction laws
- felony offenses
- traffic stops
---
# HB 1076. Crimes and offenses; create felony offense of obstruction of a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle
## Text
House Bill 1076
By: Representatives Ehrhart of the 36th, Burchett of the 176th, Crowe of the 118th, Sainz of
the 180th, and Smith of the 18th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 2 of Chapter 10 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to obstruction of public administration and related offenses, so as to create the felony
offense of obstruction of a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle; to provide for
punishment; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting
laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 2 of Chapter 10 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
obstruction of public administration and related offenses, is amended by adding a new Code
section to read as follows:
"16-10-24.5.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'motor vehicle' shall have the same meaning as
set forth in Code Section 40-1-1.
(b) A person commits the offense of obstruction of a law enforcement officer with a motor
vehicle when, by means of a moving or stationary motor vehicle, he or she knowingly
obstructs, hinders, blocks, or otherwise interferes with any federal, state, or local law
enforcement officer in the lawful discharge of his or her official duties.
(c) A person convicted of the offense of obstruction of a law enforcement officer with a
motor vehicle shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by a fine of not more than
$100,000.00 and by imprisonment of not less than one year nor more than five years."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
House Bill 1076 would create a new Georgia felony for using a car to block, hinder, or interfere with a law enforcement officer doing their job, punishable by up to five years in prison.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law already criminalizes obstructing law enforcement officers, but this bill adds a specific new crime aimed at using a motor vehicle to interfere with officers. It amends the state's obstruction laws (O.C.G.A. Title 16, Chapter 10, Article 2) by adding a new Code section, 16-10-24.5.
Under the bill, a person commits this offense when they use a moving or stationary motor vehicle to knowingly obstruct, hinder, block, or otherwise interfere with a federal, state, or local law enforcement officer who is lawfully carrying out official duties. The bill borrows the definition of 'motor vehicle' from existing Georgia traffic law (O.C.G.A. § 40-1-1). A conviction is a felony, carrying a fine of up to $100,000 and a prison sentence of one to five years. The bill does not include a stated effective date beyond the standard repeal of conflicting laws.
### What it does
- Creates a new felony crime, obstruction of a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle, under a new Code section 16-10-24.5.
- Defines the offense as knowingly using a moving or stationary vehicle to obstruct, hinder, block, or interfere with a federal, state, or local law enforcement officer performing official duties.
- Sets the penalty at a fine of up to $100,000 and imprisonment of one to five years upon conviction.
- Adopts the existing legal definition of 'motor vehicle' from Georgia's traffic code (O.C.G.A. § 40-1-1) rather than writing a new one.
- Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with this new offense.
### Who it affects
Drivers who interact with law enforcement, including at traffic stops, protests, or pursuits, would face this new felony charge if they use a vehicle to block or interfere with officers. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers are the protected class under the new offense, and prosecutors and courts would apply the new charge and penalties.
### Why it matters
People who use a vehicle to block, hinder, or interfere with police, whether intentionally in a confrontation or in ambiguous situations like refusing to move during a stop, could now face a felony conviction, a large fine, and mandatory prison time rather than a lesser existing charge.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code section 16-10-24.5 to Georgia's obstruction of public administration laws (Title 16, Chapter 10, Article 2).
- Subsection (a) defines 'motor vehicle' by reference to the definition already used in Georgia's motor vehicle code (O.C.G.A. § 40-1-1).
- Subsection (b) defines the offense: knowingly using a moving or stationary motor vehicle to obstruct, hinder, block, or interfere with a law enforcement officer performing lawful duties.
- Subsection (c) sets the penalty as a felony punishable by a fine of not more than $100,000 and imprisonment of not less than one year nor more than five years.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting state laws.
## Status
- Status: Engrossed (2026-03-03)
- Last action: Senate Read Second Time (2026-03-25)
- Sponsors: Ginny Ehrhart, James Burchett, Clint Crowe, Steven Sainz, Tyler Smith, David Jenkins, Jason T. Dickerson
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72502
> The history, votes, and amendments (644 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1076.md?full=1