---
title: SB 470. "Emergency & Public Safety Signal Protection Act"; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb470
cite_as: SB 470, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb470
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb470.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb470/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72945
date: 2026-05-11
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.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb469.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb471.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 1234
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb470.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 470
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-11
last_action: Effective Date 2026-07-01
sponsors:
- John Albers
- Randy Robertson
- Timothy Bearden
- Kay Kirkpatrick
- Chuck Payne
- Jason T. Dickerson
- Clint Crowe
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB470/2025
upstream_id: 2111489
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- signal jammers
- public safety
- 911 emergency communications
- criminal penalties
- critical infrastructure
---
# SB 470. "Emergency & Public Safety Signal Protection Act"; enact
## Text
Senate Bill 470
By: Senators Albers of the 56th, Robertson of the 29th, Bearden of the 30th, Kirkpatrick of
the 32nd, Payne of the 54th and others
AS PASSED
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 2 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to offenses against public order, so as to prohibit the possession, use, operation,
manufacture, sale, offer for sale, distribution, or import of signal jammers; to establish
criminal offenses; to provide for penalties; to require that certain penalties shall not be
suspended, stayed, deferred, or withheld by the sentencing court; to provide for the
designation of signal jammers and other property as contraband; to provide for the forfeiture
of property used directly or indirectly, or intended for use in any manner, to facilitate a
violation of the criminal offenses established in this Act; to specifically authorize the
Attorney General to commence forfeiture proceedings; to provide for exemptions; to provide
for definitions; to provide a short title; to provide an effective date; to provide for related
matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Emergency & Public Safety Signal
Protection Act."
SECTION 2.
Article 2 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
offenses against public order, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"16-11-46.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Communication signal' means a signal used in a communications system to transfer
information from a transmitter to a receiver. Communication signals include, but are not
limited to, analog signals and digital signals.
(2) 'Critical infrastructure' means publicly or privately owned facilities, systems,
functions, or assets, whether physical or virtual, providing or distributing services for the
benefit of the public, including, but not limited to, energy, fuel, water, agriculture,
healthcare, finance, communications, education, or any other vital public service.
(3) 'Property' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 9-16-2.
(4) 'Public agency' means the state and any city, county, city and county, municipal
corporation, chartered organization, public district, or public authority located in whole
or in part within this state which provides or has authority to provide fire-fighting, law
enforcement, ambulance, medical, correctional, or other emergency services.
(5) 'Public safety agency' means a functional division of a public agency which provides
fire-fighting, law enforcement, emergency medical, suicide prevention, emergency
management dispatching, poison control, drug prevention, child abuse, spouse abuse,
correctional, or other emergency services.
(6) 'Public safety answering point' means the designated communication center or centers
of a public safety agency for dispatching appropriate emergency personnel, agencies,
correctional personnel, or law enforcement officers, including, but not limited to, 9-1-1
call centers.
(7) 'Public transportation system' means all facilities, conveyances, and instrumentalities,
whether publicly or privately owned, that are used in or for publicly available services
for the transportation of individuals or cargo.
(8) 'Signal jammer' means any device, instrument, or apparatus which through emitting
a signal is capable of preventing, disrupting, delaying, degrading, or otherwise interfering
with the transmission of a communication signal over:
(A) Any wireless communications system, cellular communications system, radar
system, or global positioning system; or
(B) Any radio, telephone, or cable line, station, or system.
(9) 'Vital public service' includes water, sewerage, drainage, energy, electric, gas, natural
gas, telecommunications, internet, cable, navigation, collision avoidance, public
transportation systems, railroads, and other services the loss of which would have a
debilitating impact on the health, safety, or financial security of the public.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (g) of this Code section, it shall be unlawful for any
person to possess, use, or operate a signal jammer with the intent to prevent, disrupt, delay,
degrade, or otherwise interfere with the transmission of a communication signal over:
(1) Any wireless communications system, cellular communications system, radar system,
or global positioning system; or
(2) Any radio, telephone, or cable line, station, or system.
(c)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a person that violates
subsection (b) of this Code section shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction
thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than seven
years, a fine of not more than $10,000.00, or both.
(2) A person that violates subsection (b) of this Code section shall be guilty of a felony
and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor
more than ten years, a fine of not more than $25,000.00, or both, if such violation
involves the possession, use, or operation of a signal jammer with the intent to prevent,
disrupt, delay, degrade, or otherwise interfere with the transmission of a communication
signal by, from, with, or to a public safety agency, a public safety answering point, or any
component of critical infrastructure.
(3) A violation of subsection (b) of this Code section shall not merge with any other
offense and the punishments prescribed by paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection shall
not be suspended, stayed, deferred, or withheld by the sentencing court.
(d) Except as provided in subsection (g) of this Code section, it shall be unlawful for any
person to possess, manufacture, sell, offer for sale, distribute, or import a signal jammer
in this state.
(e) A person that violates subsection (d) of this Code section shall be guilty of a felony
and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor
more than five years, a fine of not more than $10,000.00, or both.
(f)(1) Any property which is used or intended for use in any manner to facilitate a
violation of this Code section shall be declared to be contraband, no person shall have a
property right in such property, and such property shall be subject to forfeiture.
(2) Any property subject to forfeiture pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall
be forfeited in accordance with the procedures set forth in Chapter 16 of Title 9, the
'Georgia Uniform Civil Forfeiture Procedure Act.'
(3) The Attorney General shall be specifically authorized to commence civil forfeiture
proceedings under this subsection.
(g) The following shall be exempt from the provisions of this Code section:
(1) The possession, use, operation, manufacture, sale, offer for sale, distribution, or
importation of a signal jammer in this state that is authorized under federal law or that has
been approved by the Federal Communications Commission or other federal agency
authorized to regulate signal jammers; and
(2) The possession, use, operation, manufacture, sale, offer for sale, distribution, or
importation of a signal jammer in this state by public safety agencies, state and local law
enforcement and correctional agencies, or any other person or entity that is legally
authorized to possess, use, operate, manufacture, sell, offer for sale, distribute, or import
a signal jammer in this state."
SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2026.
SECTION 4.
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.
Georgia's SB470 would make it a felony to possess, use, sell, or manufacture 'signal jammers' that block cell, GPS, radio, or emergency communications, with harsher penalties for jamming public safety or critical infrastructure signals.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law currently has no specific statute banning devices that block or interfere with wireless, cellular, radar, GPS, radio, telephone, or cable signals. This bill, known as the Emergency & Public Safety Signal Protection Act, adds a new Code section making it illegal to possess or operate such a 'signal jammer' with intent to interfere with those signals, and separately bans possessing, manufacturing, selling, or importing one in Georgia at all.
Penalties range from one to seven years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine for general violations, rising to one to ten years and up to $25,000 if the jamming targets a public safety agency, a 911 call center, or critical infrastructure like power, water, or healthcare systems. Judges cannot suspend, stay, or defer these sentences. Property used to commit these crimes can be seized through civil forfeiture, and the Attorney General can bring those forfeiture cases. Devices authorized by federal law or used by law enforcement and public safety agencies are exempt. The law would take effect July 1, 2026.
### What it does
- Creates a new Georgia crime for possessing or operating a signal jammer with intent to interfere with wireless, cellular, radar, GPS, radio, telephone, or cable signals.
- Separately criminalizes possessing, manufacturing, selling, offering for sale, distributing, or importing a signal jammer anywhere in Georgia.
- Sets felony penalties of one to seven years and up to $10,000 for general jamming, rising to one to ten years and up to $25,000 if the target is a public safety agency, 911 center, or critical infrastructure.
- Bars judges from suspending, staying, deferring, or withholding these sentences and says the crime cannot merge with other offenses.
- Declares signal jammers and related property used in these crimes to be contraband subject to civil forfeiture, and lets the Attorney General bring forfeiture cases.
- Exempts devices authorized under federal law or the FCC, and use by public safety agencies and other legally authorized entities.
### Who it affects
Anyone who possesses, sells, manufactures, or imports signal-jamming devices in Georgia; people who use jammers to interfere with cell, GPS, radio, or emergency communications; law enforcement and public safety agencies, which are exempt; and the Attorney General's office, which can pursue forfeiture cases.
### Why it matters
Devices that block cell phones, GPS, or emergency radio signals could disrupt 911 calls, police and fire dispatch, or utilities like water and power. This bill creates clear felony penalties and mandatory prison time for using or selling such devices, aiming to deter interference with emergency and critical infrastructure communications.
### Key provisions
- Section 2 adds new Code Section 16-11-46 defining terms like 'signal jammer,' 'critical infrastructure,' 'public safety agency,' and 'public safety answering point.'
- Subsection (b) bans possessing, using, or operating a signal jammer with intent to interfere with wireless, cellular, radar, GPS, radio, telephone, or cable signals.
- Subsection (c) sets penalties of one to seven years and up to $10,000, rising to one to ten years and up to $25,000 for jamming public safety agencies, 911 centers, or critical infrastructure, with no suspended sentences allowed.
- Subsection (d) and (e) separately ban possessing, manufacturing, selling, distributing, or importing a signal jammer in Georgia, punishable by one to five years and up to $10,000.
- Subsection (f) makes jammer-related property contraband subject to civil forfeiture under Georgia's Uniform Civil Forfeiture Procedure Act, with the Attorney General authorized to bring cases.
- Subsection (g) exempts federally authorized devices and use by public safety and law enforcement agencies.
- Section 3 sets the effective date as July 1, 2026.
## Status
- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-07-01 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: John Albers, Randy Robertson, Timothy Bearden, Kay Kirkpatrick, Chuck Payne, Jason T. Dickerson, Clint Crowe
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72945
> The history, votes, and amendments (1,234 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb470.md?full=1