Georgia CommonsHB 207: Firearms; storage within a motor vehicle or vessel; provide
Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action February 4, 2025 · Introduced
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
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.