---
title: HB 207. Firearms; storage within a motor vehicle or vessel; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb207
cite_as: HB 207, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb207
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb207.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb207/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69723
date: 2025-02-04
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/hb206.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb208.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb207.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 207
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-01-30
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Omari Crawford
- Mary Oliver
- Anne Westbrook
- Inga Willis
- Michelle Au
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB207/2025
upstream_id: 1949601
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- gun laws
- firearm storage
- school safety zones
- concealed carry
- criminal penalties
---
# HB 207. Firearms; storage within a motor vehicle or vessel; provide
## Text
House Bill 207
By: Representatives Crawford of the 89th, Oliver of the 84th, Westbrook of the 163rd, Willis
of the 55th, and Au of the 50th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 3 of Article 4 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to carrying and possession of firearms, so as to provide for the storage
of a firearm within a motor vehicle or vessel; to provide for penalties; to provide for
exceptions to the standards for the carrying of weapons within school safety zones, at school
functions, or on a bus or other transportation furnished by a school; 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 3 of Article 4 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to carrying and possession of firearms, is amended by revising subsections (a)
through (c) and subsections (g) and (h) of Code Section 16-11-126, relating to having or
carrying handguns, long guns, or other weapons, exceptions for homes, motor vehicles,
private property, and other locations and conditions, and unlawful carrying of a weapon, as
follows:
"(a) Any person who is not prohibited by law from possessing a handgun or long gun may
shall be authorized to have or carry on his or her person a weapon or long gun while on his
or her property or inside his or her home, motor vehicle, or place of business.
(b) Any person who is not prohibited by law from possessing a handgun or long gun may
shall be authorized to have or carry on his or her person a long gun in any location not
otherwise prohibited by law.
(c)(1) Any person who is a lawful weapons carrier may transport a handgun or long gun
in any private passenger motor vehicle in a locked compartment of, in a locked container
within, or in a locked firearms rack upon such motor vehicle; provided, however, that
private property owners or persons in legal control of private property through a lease,
rental agreement, licensing agreement, contract, or any other agreement to control access
to such private property shall have the right to exclude or eject a person who is in
possession of a weapon or long gun on their private property in accordance with
paragraph (3) of subsection (b) of Code Section 16-7-21, except as provided in Code
Section 16-11-135.
(2) Any person who is a lawful weapons carrier may transport a handgun or long gun in
any private vessel in a locked compartment of or in a locked container within such
vessel."
"(g)(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (a) through (f) of this Code section,
no person shall carry a weapon unless he or she is a lawful weapons carrier.
(2) A person commits the offense of unlawful carrying of a weapon when he or she
violates the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection or subsection (c) of this Code
section.
(h) Upon conviction of the offense of unlawful carrying of a weapon, a person shall be
punished as follows:
(1) For the first offense, he or she shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction
thereof, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $500.00; and
(2) For the second offense within five years, as measured from the dates of previous
arrests for which convictions were obtained to the date of the current arrest for which a
conviction is obtained, and for any subsequent offense, he or she shall be guilty of a
felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned for not less than two years and
not more than five years."
SECTION 2.
Said part is further amended in Code Section 16-11-127.1, relating to carrying weapons
within school safety zones, at school functions, or on a bus or other transportation furnished
by a school, by revising paragraphs (7), (8), and (17) of subsection (c) as follows:
"(7) A lawful weapons carrier when such person carries or picks up a student within a
school safety zone, at a school function, or on a bus or other transportation furnished by
a school or a lawful weapons carrier when he or she has any weapon legally kept stored
within a vehicle pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Code Section 16-11-126
when such vehicle is parked within a school safety zone or is in transit through a
designated school safety zone;
(8) A weapon possessed by a lawful weapons carrier which is under the possessor's
control in a motor vehicle or which is in a locked compartment of a motor vehicle or one
which is in a locked container in or a locked firearms rack which is on a motor vehicle
which is being used by an adult over 21 years of age to bring to or pick up a student
within a school safety zone, at a school function, or on a bus or other transportation
furnished by a school, or when such vehicle is used to transport someone to an activity
being conducted within a school safety zone which has been authorized by a duly
authorized official or local board of education as provided by paragraph (6) of this
subsection; provided, however, that this exception shall not apply to a student attending
a public or private elementary or secondary school;"
"(17) Teachers and other personnel who are otherwise authorized to possess or carry
weapons, provided that any such weapon is in a locked compartment of a motor vehicle
or one which is in a locked container in or a locked firearms rack which is on a motor
vehicle stored within a motor vehicle pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Code
Section 16-11-126;"
SECTION 3.
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 207 would require Georgians who are not carrying a firearm on their person to keep it locked up when it's in a car or boat, instead of allowing free storage as current law does, and would apply that same locked-storage rule to the school safety zone exceptions.
### Plain-language summary
Right now, Georgia law lets a person who owns a home, property, or business keep a gun there and also lets a 'lawful weapons carrier' transport a handgun or long gun in a private vehicle without a specific locking requirement. House Bill 207 rewrites Georgia's carrying and possession law (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-126) so that motor vehicles are removed from the list of places where a gun can simply be kept unlocked, and instead requires that any handgun or long gun transported in a private vehicle be kept in a locked compartment, locked container, or locked gun rack. It adds a matching rule for boats, requiring guns in a private vessel to be in a locked compartment or locked container.
The bill also updates the school safety zone exceptions (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127.1) so that guns legally stored in a vehicle under the new locked-storage rule remain exempt when a parent picks up or drops off a student, or when a teacher's vehicle is on school property. Violating the new storage requirement becomes a form of unlawful carrying of a weapon, punishable as a misdemeanor with up to a $500 fine for a first offense and as a felony with two to five years in prison for a second offense within five years.
### What it does
- Removes motor vehicles from the list of places (home, property, business) where a person can keep a gun without a locking requirement under O.C.G.A. § 16-11-126.
- Requires that any handgun or long gun transported in a private passenger vehicle be kept in a locked compartment, locked container, or locked firearms rack.
- Adds a new rule requiring guns transported in a private vessel (boat) to be kept in a locked compartment or locked container.
- Makes it a criminal offense of unlawful carrying of a weapon to transport a gun in a vehicle without meeting the new locked-storage requirement.
- Sets the penalty for a first offense as a misdemeanor with a fine up to $500.00, and for a second offense within five years as a felony punishable by two to five years in prison.
- Updates the school safety zone exceptions so guns stored under the new locked rules remain exempt for parents picking up students and for authorized teachers and staff.
### Who it affects
Gun owners who keep firearms in their cars or boats, lawful weapons carriers who transport handguns or long guns, parents who pick up or drop off students at school in a vehicle carrying a firearm, and teachers and school staff who are authorized to carry weapons on school property.
### Why it matters
Georgians who currently keep a firearm loose in a vehicle or boat would need to secure it in a locked compartment, container, or rack, or risk being charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon, a misdemeanor carrying a fine up to $500 for a first offense and a felony for later offenses. The change also affects how school pickup and staff carrying exceptions are defined.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 16-11-126(a) to remove motor vehicles from places where a firearm can be kept without a locking requirement, leaving home, property, and place of business.
- Section 1 rewrites subsection (c) into two paragraphs: (c)(1) requires locked compartment, locked container, or locked firearms rack storage for guns transported in a private passenger vehicle, and (c)(2) applies the same locked storage requirement to private vessels.
- Section 1 amends subsection (g) so that violating the new vehicle or vessel storage requirement in subsection (c) counts as unlawful carrying of a weapon.
- Section 1 amends subsection (h) to set the first-offense penalty as a misdemeanor with a fine not to exceed $500.00, and repeats the existing felony penalty of two to five years in prison for a second offense within five years.
- Section 2 updates the school safety zone exceptions in O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127.1(c)(7) and (8) so vehicles with guns stored under the new locked-storage rule remain exempt when picking up or dropping off students.
- Section 2 updates paragraph (17) so teachers and other authorized school personnel must store weapons in a vehicle according to the new locked-storage requirement to keep their exemption.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-01-30)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-04)
- Sponsors: Omari Crawford, Mary Oliver, Anne Westbrook, Inga Willis, Michelle Au
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69723
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb207.md?full=1