---
title: HB 683. Buildings and housing; residential fire sprinkler requirements; provisions
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb683
cite_as: HB 683, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb683
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb683.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb683/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71015
date: 2025-03-04
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12
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/hb682.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb684.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb683.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 683
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-28
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Joseph Gullett
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB683/2025
upstream_id: 1989313
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- fire sprinklers
- building codes
- local government authority
- home construction
- fire safety
---
# HB 683. Buildings and housing; residential fire sprinkler requirements; provisions
## Text
House Bill 683
By: Representative Gullett of the 19th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 8-2-4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to certain
residential fire sprinkler requirements prohibited, so as to provide that although neither the
state residential and fire building code nor any residential fire and building code shall include
a requirement that fire sprinklers be installed in single-family or residential buildings, local
fire ordinances may require fire sprinklers in one- and two-family dwellings; to provide for
related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Code Section 8-2-4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to certain residential
fire sprinkler requirements prohibited, is amended as follows:
"8-2-4.
As of May 24, 2010, the state residential and fire building code shall not include a
requirement that fire sprinklers be installed in a single-family or residential building that
contains no more than two dwelling units. Nothing in this Code section shall preclude any
residential fire and building code adopted by any political subdivision of the state from
adopting a local fire sprinkler ordinance requiring fire sprinklers in one- and two-family
dwellings. Neither the state residential and fire building code nor any residential and fire
building code adopted by a political subdivision of the state adopted after May 24, 2010,
shall include a requirement that fire sprinklers be installed in a single-family dwelling or
a residential building that contains no more than two dwelling units."
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 let local governments adopt fire ordinances requiring sprinklers in one- and two-family homes, even though the state building code still cannot mandate them.
### Plain-language summary
Since 2010, Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 8-2-4) has barred the state residential and fire building code from requiring fire sprinklers in single-family homes or small residential buildings with no more than two units. This bill rewrites that Code section to keep the state-level ban in place but add language saying nothing in the law stops a political subdivision, meaning a city or county, from adopting its own local fire ordinance that requires sprinklers in one- and two-family dwellings.
The bill's text also repeats language stating that no residential and fire building code adopted by a political subdivision after May 24, 2010 may require sprinklers in these small buildings, so the exact scope of what local governments can and cannot require is not entirely clear from the bill's wording. The bill would repeal any conflicting laws and does not list a separate effective date beyond the standard process for bills that become law.
### What it does
- Rewrites O.C.G.A. § 8-2-4 to add a statement that local political subdivisions are not blocked from adopting a fire ordinance requiring sprinklers in one- and two-family dwellings.
- Keeps the existing rule that the statewide residential and fire building code cannot require fire sprinklers in single-family homes or buildings with two or fewer units.
- Retains language stating that no local residential and fire building code adopted after May 24, 2010 shall include a sprinkler requirement, alongside the new local-ordinance allowance.
- Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with this change.
### Who it affects
The bill affects homebuilders and homebuyers, city and county governments that write local fire ordinances, local fire departments, and owners of single-family or two-unit residential buildings across Georgia.
### Why it matters
If enacted, some Georgia cities or counties could require sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes even though the statewide code cannot, which could raise construction costs in those areas while leaving other jurisdictions unaffected. The overlapping language in the bill could also create confusion over what is actually required.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 8-2-4, keeping the ban on the state residential and fire building code requiring sprinklers in single-family or two-unit residential buildings.
- Section 1 adds text saying nothing in the Code section prevents a political subdivision from adopting a local fire sprinkler ordinance for one- and two-family dwellings.
- Section 1 also keeps language stating that no code adopted by a political subdivision after May 24, 2010 shall include a sprinkler requirement, which appears to conflict with the new local-ordinance allowance.
- Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with the Act.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-28)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-03-04)
- Sponsors: Joseph Gullett
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71015
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb683.md?full=1