Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 1131: Criminal procedure; personal service of process for notice of a warrant application hearing; provide
Last action July 1, 2026 · Effective Date
House Bill 1131 would require Georgia courts to try personal service, in addition to other approved methods, when notifying someone of a warrant application hearing or informing them of the charge against them, and it adjusts bail bond rules.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Under current Georgia law, before a judge holds a hearing on a warrant application, officials must attempt to notify the person whose arrest is sought using any method the judge approves that is reasonably likely to reach them. This bill adds personal service (physically delivering notice to the person) as an option alongside other judge-approved methods. It makes a similar change to the law on informing an accused person of the specific charge against them, adding personal service as a required method. The bill also changes bail bond rules in O.C.G.A. § 17-6-15. It adjusts the cash escrow or collateral amount that established professional bonding companies must keep on deposit, and it adds a new exemption saying the strict bail fund requirements that apply to charitable groups and companies do not apply to an individual family member posting a cash bond for a relative. The bill repeals conflicting laws and does not state a delayed effective date beyond the general rule that Acts take effect upon the Governor's signature.
What the bill does
- Adds personal service as a way to notify someone that a warrant application hearing will be held concerning their arrest, alongside other judge-approved notice methods (O.C.G.A. § 17-4-40).
- Requires that an accused person be informed of the specific charge and related details through personal service (O.C.G.A. § 17-4-41).
- Changes the cap on the cash escrow account or collateral that established professional bonding companies must maintain (O.C.G.A. § 17-6-15).
- Exempts a natural person who posts a cash bond for an immediate family member from the stricter requirements that apply to professional bonding companies and charitable bail funds (O.C.G.A. § 17-6-15).
Who it affects
People facing arrest warrants or criminal charges in Georgia, judges and court officers who issue warrants and set hearings, professional bail bonding companies and charitable bail funds, sheriffs who regulate bonding companies, and individuals who post cash bonds for family members.
Why it matters
Requiring personal service means a person facing a warrant hearing or a criminal charge would need to be physically handed notice in more cases, which could affect how quickly cases move and whether people learn about hearings in time. The family bond exemption also makes it easier for relatives to post bail without meeting professional surety rules.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 17-4-40(b)(2) to add personal service as an acceptable way to attempt notice of a warrant application hearing.
- Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 17-4-41(c) to require that the accused be informed of the charge and pertinent particulars by personal service.
- Section 3 revises O.C.G.A. § 17-6-15, changing the cash escrow or collateral cap for professional bonding companies operating 18 months or longer in a county.
- Section 3 also adds a new exemption in O.C.G.A. § 17-6-15(b)(4) so the paragraph's bail fund requirements do not apply to a natural person posting a cash bond for an immediate family member.
- Section 4 repeals all laws in conflict with the Act.
From the bill
“a warrant application hearing shall be conducted only after attempting to notify the person whose arrest is sought by personal service or by any means approved by the judge or other officer which is reasonably calculated to apprise such person of the date, time, and location of the hearing”
“This paragraph shall not apply to a natural person posting a cash bond on behalf of an immediate family member.”
Discussed in meetings (14)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, February 17, 2026
From 1:38:03 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would add personal service of notice for warrant application hearings so people know an application has been filed against them and can appear to defend themselves. The sponsor acknowledged concerns about workloads for sheriffs and marshals and said discussions would continue about a service fee to compensate those offices. One member worried that unsuccessful personal service could delay a hearing or leave an alleged offender outside the court process. The sponsor responded that the bill retained existing language allowing other judge-approved methods of notice and that judges could decide whether to issue a warrant or send another notice after a failure to appear. The sponsor described private warrant applications as another route when law enforcement does not pursue a case. Other members supported personal service as a safeguard before an arrest, comparing it with notice requirements in divorce and protective-order proceedings. No amendments were offered. The committee approved the bill by voice vote and sent it to the Rules Committee, with no count stated.
House Rules Committee, February 19, 2026
From 0:28:21 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1131 would include personal service as a way to notify people of warrant applications against them. There were no questions or vote.
House floor session, February 26, 2026 (legislative day 25, PM)
From 0:40:07 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1658
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1131 would require personal delivery of notice of a warrant application hearing. No questions were asked or further explanation offered. The House passed the bill 166 to 0.
House Rules Committee, February 26, 2026
From 0:31:07 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1654
Summary by Georgia Commons: After a motion and second, the chair announced that HB 1131 was placed on the day’s supplemental calendar under modified structured rules. There was no discussion of the bill’s substance.
Senate Judiciary Committee, March 16, 2026
From 0:45:38 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1131 would require personal service of warrant application hearing notices to prevent warrants being issued against people who never received notice. The sponsor said the substitute also exempted people posting cash bonds for immediate family members from the three-cash-bonds-per-year limit. A Fulton County Marshal's Office witness agreed that missed or misdirected notices were a problem but said mandatory personal service would add an unfunded burden to an already overworked agency. The witness proposed mailing notices first, then requiring personal service if the recipient failed to appear, and warned that immediate personal service could also cause hearing delays. The sponsor said a Georgia Sheriffs' Association representative had reported that many sheriff's offices already personally served these notices without objection. A committee member asked about allowing mail first. The sponsor and legislative counsel said language permitting any means approved by the judge gave courts that flexibility. The member declined to offer an amendment after that explanation. The committee unanimously recommended passage by substitute.
Senate Rules Committee, March 30, 2026
From 0:36:58 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1131 would allow personal delivery of notices for warrant application hearings because mailed notices were not reaching many people. The sponsor also said it would allow individuals to post cash bonds for family members an unlimited number of times each year. The chair added it to the selections, and the committee unanimously approved the calendar containing it.
House floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, PM, part 2)
From 3:00:32 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1131 changed notice for warrant-application hearings to personal service. The sponsor explained that the Senate's replacement version also reduced bonding companies' required cash escrow from $1 million to $500,000, which the sponsor described as current common practice. No questions were asked. The House agreed to the Senate's replacement version, 166 to 0.
Senate floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, part 1)
From 6:51:43 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Taken from Table)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The clerk described HB 1131 as requiring personal delivery of notice for a warrant-application hearing. The sponsor emphasized that notice could not simply be mailed or communicated by phone. The sponsor also said added language would remove any perceived restriction preventing family members from posting cash bonds for relatives. An amendment's author proposed reducing a cash escrow amount from $1 million to $500,000, saying the change affected only a few metro counties and largely matched limits those counties had already adopted by rule. The sponsor supported the amendment. The Senate adopted it without objection and passed the amended substitute 47 to 2.
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 3, 2026 (legislative day 11), 0:23:41
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 4, 2026 (legislative day 12), 0:27:56
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 18, 2026 (legislative day 20), 0:39:39
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 3, 2026 (legislative day 26), 0:27:56
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 18, 2026 (legislative day 33), 0:32:21
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 19, 2026 (legislative day 34), 0:46:29
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 482
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
Show full history (18 actions)
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Soo Hong (R, HD-103)
- Tyler Paul Smith (R, HD-18)
- Steven Sainz (R, HD-180)
- Matt Reeves (R, HD-99)
- Mitchell Scoggins (R, HD-14)
- Randy Robertson (R, SD-29)
Votes
- House voteFebruary 26, 2026
166 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 6 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2026
39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 excused)
- Senate voteApril 2, 2026
47 yea, 2 nay (3 not voting, 2 excused)
- House voteApril 2, 2026
166 yea, 0 nay (7 not voting, 3 excused)
Topics
- criminal procedure
- bail bonds
- warrants
- court notices
- bonding companies