---
title: HB 530. Courts; authorization for electronic filing of pleadings in probate court; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb530
cite_as: HB 530, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb530
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb530.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb530/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70513
date: 2026-05-05
status: passed
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 1382
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb530.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 530
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-05
last_action: Effective Date 2026-07-01
sponsors:
- Rob Leverett
- Matt Reeves
- Mitchell Scoggins
- Trey Kelley
- Mary Oliver
- Brian Strickland
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB530/2025
upstream_id: 1976257
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- probate court
- electronic filing
- court fees
- Georgia courts
- estate and guardianship cases
---
# HB 530. Courts; authorization for electronic filing of pleadings in probate court; provide
## Text
House Bill 530 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Leverett of the 123rd, Reeves of the 99th, Scoggins of the 14th, Kelley of
the 16th, and Oliver of the 84th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 4 of Chapter 9 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to time, place, and procedure, so as to provide for electronic filing of pleadings and
other documents in probate court; to provide for the promulgation of rules; to provide for
fees; to provide for access to pleadings for certain staff and litigants; to provide for
limitations and exceptions; to provide for applicability; to provide for related matters; to
repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 4 of Chapter 9 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to time,
place, and procedure, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"15-9-86.2.
(a)(1)(A) On or before January 1, 2029, pursuant to standards and rules promulgated
by the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia, probate courts shall provide for the
electronic filing of all pleadings and any other document related thereto in any civil
matter in a probate court and provide for the acceptance of payments and remittances
by electronic means.
(B)(i) On and after January 1, 2029, except as provided in paragraph (6) of this
subsection, all pleadings and any other document related thereto in any civil matter
in a probate court shall be filed by electronic means through the court's electronic
filing service provider.
(ii) Except as provided in paragraph (6) of this subsection, once a court has
commenced mandatory electronic filings in civil cases, a clerk shall not accept, file,
or docket any pleading or any other form of paper document related thereto from an
attorney, or party if he or she is pro se, in a civil case; provided, however, that to
protect and promote access to the courts, courts shall reasonably accommodate parties
by accepting and then converting and maintaining in electronic form pleadings or
other form of paper documents related thereto presented physically at the courthouse
by an attorney or a pro se party or otherwise received by the court from a pro se party.
The clerk shall not charge the fee as set forth in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of
this subsection for such filings but when payment is submitted by credit card or bank
draft, the clerk may charge the convenience fee as set forth in subparagraph (B) of
paragraph (2) of this subsection.
(iii) Once a court has commenced mandatory electronic filings in civil cases, the
court shall be required to provide a public terminal either within the administrative
office space of the probate court or the county law library for any party to
electronically file pleadings or other documents related thereto.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, a court's electronic filing
service provider may charge a fee which shall be a recoverable court cost and only
include a:
(A) One-time fee for electronically filing pleadings or documents in a civil action and
the electronic service of pleadings, regardless of how many parties shall be served,
which shall not exceed $30.00 per filer, per case. Such fee shall be paid at the time of
the first filing on behalf of a party, provided that, when filings are submitted via a
public access terminal, such fee shall be paid upon the first filing not using such
terminal; and
(B) Convenience fee for credit card and bank drafting services, which shall not exceed
3.5 percent, plus a 30ยข payment services fee per transaction.
(3) No electronic filing service provider shall charge a fee pursuant to this subsection for
the filing of:
(A) Pleadings or documents related thereto filed:
(i) By any local, state, or federal office, officer, or agency;
(ii) By attorneys appointed by the probate court to represent the interest of any party;
(iii) By guardians ad litem; or
(iv) On behalf of a municipal corporation or county government; or
(B) Leaves of absence or conflict notices filed pursuant to the Uniform Rules for the
Probate Court.
(4) With respect to the fee charged pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of this
subsection, the probate court shall retain $2.00 of the transaction fee and remit it to the
governing authority of the county. No other portion of such transaction fee shall be
remitted to any other office or entity of the state or governing authority of a county or
municipality.
(5) An attorney, or party if he or she is pro se, shall be allowed unlimited access to view
and download any pleading or document electronically filed in connection to the civil
action in which he or she is counsel of record or a pro se party, and an electronic service
provider shall not be authorized to charge or collect a fee for such viewing or
downloading.
(6) The provisions of paragraphs (1), (4), and (5) of this subsection shall not apply to
pleadings or other documents:
(A)(i) Filed in connection with a pauper's affidavit;
(ii) Filed under seal or presented to a court in camera or ex parte; or
(iii) To which access is restricted by law or court order;
(B) Presented in a court located in an area that has been declared to be in a state of
emergency pursuant to Article 3 of Chapter 3 of Title 38. The Judicial Council of
Georgia shall provide rules for filings in such circumstances; or
(C) Filed prior to the commencement of electronic filing provided for in this Code
section, wherein the filer shall continue to pay fees applicable to the case on the date
of the first filing; provided, however, that a party may elect to make future filings
through the court's electronic filing service provider and pay the applicable fees.
(b) Each probate court shall develop and enact policies and procedures necessary to carry
out the standards and rules created by the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia.
(c) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to prevent a court's acceptance of
payments and remittances by electronic means under the court's own authority.
(d) A judge to whom the case is assigned and his or her staff shall, at all times, have access
to all pleadings and documents electronically filed, and such access shall be provided upon
the electronic acceptance of such pleadings and documents by the court.
(e) Any pleading or document filed electronically shall be deemed filed as of the time of
its receipt by the electronic filing service provider. A pleading or document filed
electronically shall not be subject to disclosure until it has been accepted by the court.
Upon such acceptance as provided for in this subsection, such pleading or document shall
be publicly accessible for viewing at no cost to the viewer on a public access terminal
available at the courthouse during regular business hours unless otherwise prohibited or
limited by law."
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.
House Bill 530 requires Georgia's probate courts to set up electronic filing for civil case pleadings by January 1, 2029, with rules on fees, public access, and exceptions for sensitive filings.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia's probate courts currently have no statewide requirement to accept electronic filings. House Bill 530 adds a new section to Georgia law directing every probate court to set up electronic filing for civil pleadings and other documents, following standards written by the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia, by January 1, 2029. After that date, attorneys and self-represented parties would generally have to file electronically once a court starts mandatory e-filing, though courts must still accept paper documents brought in person and convert them to electronic form, and must provide a public terminal for filing.
The bill caps what electronic filing companies can charge: a one-time fee of no more than $30 per filer per case, plus a capped convenience fee for credit card or bank payments. Government agencies, court-appointed attorneys, and guardians ad litem are exempted from fees. Sealed, in camera, pauper's affidavit, and emergency-area filings are excluded from some of the new rules. Attorneys and parties get free unlimited access to their own case documents.
### What it does
- Requires every Georgia probate court to offer electronic filing for civil pleadings and related documents by January 1, 2029, under statewide standards.
- Makes electronic filing mandatory for attorneys and self-represented parties once a court turns it on, while requiring courts to still accept and convert paper documents brought in person.
- Caps the electronic filing fee at $30 per filer per case and limits the credit card convenience fee to 3.5 percent plus 30 cents per transaction.
- Exempts government agencies, court-appointed attorneys, guardians ad litem, and certain leave-of-absence filings from the electronic filing fee.
- Guarantees attorneys and pro se parties free, unlimited access to view and download documents from their own cases.
- Excludes sealed filings, in camera or ex parte filings, pauper's affidavits, and filings in declared emergency areas from some of the new requirements.
### Who it affects
Probate court judges and clerks, attorneys who practice in probate court, self-represented (pro se) litigants, electronic filing service providers, county governments that receive a share of filing fees, and government agencies or guardians ad litem who file paperwork in probate cases.
### Why it matters
Georgians dealing with wills, estates, guardianships, and other probate matters would eventually have to file paperwork online rather than on paper, which could speed up access to court records but also creates new fees and requires courts to provide backup options like public terminals for people without internet access or legal help.
### Key provisions
- Adds new Code Section 15-9-86.2 requiring probate courts to enable electronic filing for civil matters by January 1, 2029, under rules set by the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia.
- Once mandatory e-filing begins, clerks generally cannot accept paper filings from attorneys, but must accommodate pro se parties and in-person filers by converting paper documents into electronic form.
- Courts must provide a public terminal at the courthouse or county law library for filing once mandatory electronic filing starts.
- Sets fee limits: up to $30 per filer per case for the one-time filing fee, and up to 3.5 percent plus 30 cents for credit card or bank draft convenience fees.
- The probate court keeps $2.00 of each filing fee for the county, with no other portion going to any other government office.
- Certain filers, including government agencies, court-appointed attorneys, and guardians ad litem, are exempt from the electronic filing fee.
- Sealed filings, pauper's affidavits, in camera or ex parte submissions, and filings in declared emergency areas are excluded from several of the new requirements.
- Judges and their staff must have continuous access to all electronically filed documents, and filings are considered submitted at the time received by the filing service provider.
## Status
- Status: Passed (2026-05-05)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-07-01 (2026-05-05)
- Sponsors: Rob Leverett, Matt Reeves, Mitchell Scoggins, Trey Kelley, Mary Oliver, Brian Strickland
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70513
> The history, votes, and amendments (1,382 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb530.md?full=1