---
title: HB 128. Fair Business Practices Act of 1975; prohibit vehicle rental companies from refusing to rent or lease to individuals over the age of 25
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb128
cite_as: HB 128, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb128
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb128.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb128/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69502
date: 2025-01-29
status: introduced
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/hb127.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb129.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb128.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 128
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-01-27
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Kasey Carpenter
- Martin Momtahan
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB128/2025
upstream_id: 1943232
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- car rentals
- consumer protection
- age discrimination
- Fair Business Practices Act
---
# HB 128. Fair Business Practices Act of 1975; prohibit vehicle rental companies from refusing to rent or lease to individuals over the age of 25
## Text
House Bill 128
By: Representatives Carpenter of the 4th and Momtahan of the 17th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 2 of Article 15 of Chapter 1 of Title 10 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to the "Fair Business Practices Act of 1975," so as to prohibit motor
vehicle rental companies from refusing to rent or lease motor vehicles to individuals over the
age of 25 based solely on the age of such individuals; to provide for definitions; to provide
for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Part 2 of Article 15 of Chapter 1 of Title 10 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to the "Fair Business Practices Act of 1975," is amended by adding a new Code
section to read as follows:
"10-1-393.20.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Motor vehicle rental company' means an individual or business entity whose
business activity is renting or leasing motor vehicles to consumers under rental
agreements. Such term shall not include an individual engaged in peer-to-peer
car-sharing.
(2) 'Peer-to-peer car-sharing' shall have the same meaning as provided in Code
Section 40-1-220.
(3) 'Rental agreement' means an agreement under which a motor vehicle without a driver
is rented or leased to a consumer for a period of 90 days or less. Such term shall not
include a peer-to-peer car-sharing arrangement.
(b) It shall be an unlawful unfair or deceptive trade practice for any motor vehicle rental
company to refuse to rent or lease a motor vehicle under a rental agreement to an individual
who is 25 years of age or older solely on the basis of the individual's age, provided that
such individual holds a valid driver's license authorizing such individual to operate such
motor vehicle on public roads within this state and such individual has, or is able to obtain
through the motor vehicle rental company or otherwise, an insurance policy that would
apply to such individual's use of such motor vehicle and that would provide at least the
minimum coverages required by law.
(c) Any person who violates this Code section shall be subject to the penalties provided
for in this part."
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.
A Georgia House bill would bar motor vehicle rental companies from refusing to rent cars to customers age 25 or older just because of their age, as long as they have a valid license and required insurance.
### Plain-language summary
Under current Georgia law, rental car companies can set their own age-based rental policies, sometimes charging extra fees or refusing service to renters based on age even when they are adults. HB128 would add a new section to Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act of 1975 (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.20) making it an unlawful unfair or deceptive trade practice for a motor vehicle rental company to refuse to rent a vehicle to someone 25 or older solely because of their age.
The protection only applies if the renter holds a valid driver's license and either already has, or can obtain, an insurance policy meeting Georgia's minimum required coverage. The bill defines 'motor vehicle rental company' and 'rental agreement' and specifically excludes peer-to-peer car-sharing arrangements from these new rules. Violators would face the penalties already set out elsewhere in the Fair Business Practices Act.
### What it does
- Adds a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.20) making it illegal for rental car companies to refuse to rent to someone 25 or older based solely on age.
- Requires that the individual hold a valid driver's license and have or be able to obtain insurance meeting Georgia's minimum coverage requirements to qualify for this protection.
- Defines 'motor vehicle rental company' and 'rental agreement' and excludes peer-to-peer car-sharing arrangements from the new rule.
- Makes violations subject to the existing penalties under the Fair Business Practices Act of 1975.
### Who it affects
Motor vehicle rental companies operating in Georgia, and individuals age 25 or older who want to rent a car and hold a valid driver's license and adequate insurance. Peer-to-peer car-sharing services and their users are explicitly excluded from these rules.
### Why it matters
Renters 25 and older who meet licensing and insurance requirements could no longer be turned away by a rental company simply because of their age, potentially affecting travelers, business renters, and others who currently face age-based rental restrictions or refusals in Georgia.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code Section 10-1-393.20 to Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act of 1975 addressing motor vehicle rental age discrimination.
- Subsection (a) defines 'motor vehicle rental company,' 'peer-to-peer car-sharing' (by reference to O.C.G.A. § 40-1-220), and 'rental agreement' as covering rentals of 90 days or less.
- Subsection (b) prohibits refusing to rent to someone 25 or older based solely on age, conditioned on a valid driver's license and available minimum insurance coverage.
- Subsection (c) states that violators are subject to the penalties already established elsewhere in the Fair Business Practices Act.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-01-27)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-01-29)
- Sponsors: Kasey Carpenter, Martin Momtahan
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69502
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb128.md?full=1