Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 809: Motor vehicles; minimum speed limit of 50 miles per hour on certain highways; provide
Last action February 20, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
A House substitute bill would set a 50 mile per hour minimum speed on interstates and Georgia Highway 400 where the posted limit is 65 mph or higher, taking effect July 1, 2027.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Comm Sub version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-184) already bans driving so slowly that it blocks normal traffic flow, and lets transportation officials post minimum speed limits where slow driving causes problems. This bill adds a specific new rule: on controlled-access highways that are part of the interstate system, or on Georgia Highway 400, where the posted speed limit is 65 mph or higher, drivers could not go slower than 50 mph. The bill also cleans up the existing 'passing lane' rule, which already bars drivers from lingering in the left lane once a faster car approaches from behind, by renumbering subsections and rewording the definition of 'passing lane' without changing its meaning. The same list of exceptions (bad weather, traffic congestion, tolls, emergency vehicles, construction, needing to exit or turn) still applies. The changes would take effect July 1, 2027.
What the bill does
- Adds a new minimum speed limit of 50 mph on interstate highways and Georgia Highway 400 where the posted limit is 65 mph or higher.
- Keeps the existing ban on driving so slowly it impedes normal traffic flow, unless slower speed is needed for safety.
- Renumbers and slightly rewords the passing lane rule and its definition of 'passing lane' without changing its substance.
- Preserves the seven existing exceptions to the passing lane rule, including weather, congestion, tolls, and emergency and construction vehicles.
- Sets the effective date for all these changes as July 1, 2027.
Who it affects
Drivers on Georgia's interstate highways and Georgia Highway 400, especially those traveling well below the flow of traffic on high-speed segments. It also affects the Georgia Department of Transportation and Department of Public Safety, which oversee posted speed limits and traffic engineering studies.
Why it matters
Drivers who go noticeably slower than 50 mph on these high-speed highways could be violating the law even without a posted minimum sign, once the highway's limit is 65 mph or higher. This could affect enforcement and ticketing on interstates and Georgia 400 starting in mid-2027.
Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-6-184 by adding new subsection (c), setting a 50 mph minimum on controlled-access interstate highways or Georgia Highway 400 with posted limits of 65 mph or more.
- Section 1 also renumbers the existing passing lane rule to new subsection (d) and updates the definition of 'passing lane' to mean the most left-hand lane other than a high occupancy vehicle lane.
- Section 1 preserves the seven listed exceptions to the passing lane rule, such as congestion, weather, tolls, exiting, emergency vehicles, and highway construction work.
- Section 2 sets the effective date of the Act as July 1, 2027.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“the minimum speed limit for such highway shall be 50 miles per hour.”
“no person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation.”
Discussed in meetings (3)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Motor Vehicles Committee, February 10, 2026
From 0:53:46 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would raise the minimum speed to 50 mph on public roads with maximum limits of at least 65 mph, without raising maximum limits. The sponsor argued that narrowing the difference between minimum and maximum speeds could reduce rear-end crashes, and cited support from the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and Department of Public Safety. The sponsor said discussions with the Department of Transportation were continuing about administrative authority, sign replacement costs and implementation timing. No cost estimate had arrived, and the sponsor favored a delayed start rather than July 2026. One member raised concerns about older and student drivers. The sponsor responded that slower drivers could use other routes and students would need to learn highway speeds. Another member requested crash information showing which lanes were involved; the sponsor agreed to ask Public Safety. Asked whether driving 49 mph could bring a fine, the sponsor said a strict reading could allow one but expected enforcement discretion. Another member said driving schools could teach students the new minimum. The chair confirmed this was a hearing only, with no vote.
House Motor Vehicles Committee, February 20, 2026
From 0:33:25 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute setting a 50 mph minimum speed only on interstates and Georgia 400, rather than a broader group of highways. The sponsor said the minimum had remained at 40 mph while maximum speeds increased, and cited public safety organizations' support for narrowing that gap to reduce rear-end collisions. The substitute delayed the effective date to July 1, 2027. The sponsor estimated sign replacement would cost less than $1 million, citing costs below $1,000 per sign and an earlier estimate of about 980 signs before the bill's scope narrowed. One member raised concerns about enforcement affecting older drivers. A second member asked about younger and older drivers, the requirement for slower traffic to keep right, and public education. The sponsor said the keep-right rule would remain, drivers on the covered roads would still need to meet the new minimum, and a public information campaign was expected alongside new signs. The committee approved the substitute by voice vote; no numerical tally was stated.
House Rules Committee, February 23, 2026
From 1:25:57 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 809 would raise the minimum speed on Georgia interstates from 40 to 50 miles per hour. The sponsor said the minimum had not changed since the early 1970s, although maximum limits had risen from 55 to 65 and 70 miles per hour. The sponsor reported support from the Georgia Sheriffs' Association, Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and Department of Public Safety. There were no questions.
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- John Carson (R, HD-46)
- Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
- Alan Powell (R, HD-33)
- Brad Thomas (R, HD-21)
- Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
- Eddie Lumsden (R, HD-12)
Topics
- speed limits
- traffic laws
- interstate highways
- Georgia Highway 400
- driving rules