House · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session

HB 1412: Courts; payment of certain money arising from traffic fines generated by members of the Uniform Division of the Department of Public Safety; provide

Last action February 25, 2026 · House Second Readers

A Georgia House bill would send 70 percent of most traffic fine revenue from tickets written by the State Patrol's Uniform Division into the state's general fund, instead of leaving all of it with local governments.

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In plain language

Under current Georgia law, when a county or municipal court collects a fine for a traffic offense, the money (after costs) typically stays with the local county or city treasury, except for a special carve-out for the Department of Public Safety's motorcycle enforcement unit on certain interstate loops. This bill changes that split. For tickets written by any member of the Uniform Division of the Department of Public Safety (Georgia State Patrol troopers), 70 percent of the remaining fine money would now go to the state's general fund instead of the local treasury, unless the motorcycle enforcement unit exception already applies. The bill also adds new reporting duties. County clerks and probate or municipal court judges would have to report, by January 31 each year, how much revenue was generated locally from these State Patrol fines to the commissioner of public safety, the state revenue commissioner, and the relevant county or municipal governing body. The bill repeals conflicting laws but does not state a separate effective date beyond standard enactment.

What the bill does

Redirects 70 percent of the remaining traffic fine money from tickets issued by Uniform Division (State Patrol) officers to the state general fund instead of the county or municipal treasury.
Keeps the existing exception where fines from the motorcycle enforcement unit on certain urban interstate loops go to the Department of Public Safety for its motorcycle program.
Requires county court clerks to file an annual report by January 31 showing county revenue from these State Patrol fines to the commissioner of public safety, the state revenue commissioner, and county commissioners.
Requires probate and municipal court judges to file a similar annual report on municipal revenue from these fines to the same state officials and to the relevant mayor or commission.
Updates payment procedures so that judges can pay collected fine money into the state treasury, in addition to county, municipal, or Department of Public Safety accounts, as the new split requires.

Who it affects

County and municipal court clerks and judges who handle traffic fine payments, county and city governments that currently keep this fine revenue, the Department of Public Safety and its Uniform Division troopers, the state revenue commissioner's office, and Georgia drivers who receive traffic citations from State Patrol officers.

Why it matters

Local governments would lose a share of traffic fine revenue they currently keep in full, since 70 percent of money from State Patrol-issued tickets would flow to the state instead. This shifts funding away from county and city budgets toward the state treasury and creates new annual reporting obligations for local courts.

Key provisions

Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 15-21-2 so that 70 percent of the remainder of fines from Uniform Division arrests or citations goes to the state general fund, except where the existing motorcycle enforcement unit exception applies.
Section 1 requires county clerks to report annual county revenue from these fines to the commissioner of public safety, the state revenue commissioner, and county commissioners by January 31 each year.
Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-13-26 to apply the same 70 percent state general fund split to fines collected by probate and municipal courts for Uniform Division tickets.
Section 2 requires probate or municipal court judges to report annual municipal revenue from these fines to the same state officials and to the mayor or municipal commission by January 31 each year.
Section 2 updates payment procedures so judges may pay fine proceeds into the state treasury as well as county, municipal, or Department of Public Safety accounts.
Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

From the bill

“Except as otherwise specifically provided in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, 70 percent of the remainder of any fines, after costs, imposed for violation of any traffic offense provided in or authorized by Chapter 6 of Title 40 if the arrest or citation in such case was made or issued by a member of the Uniform Division of the Department of Public Safety, in which case such percentage shall be remitted to the general fund of the state treasury.”
This is the core rule sending 70 percent of these traffic fines to the state instead of the county.

Status timeline

2026-02-25House Second Readers (House)
2026-02-24House First Readers (House)
2026-02-20House Hopper (House)

Topics

traffic fines
state patrol
county budgets
court reporting requirements
state revenue

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