---
title: SB 527. Sheriffs; candidates for the office of sheriff are certified peace officers at the time of qualifying as a candidate; require
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb527
cite_as: SB 527, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb527
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb527.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb527/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73378
date: 2026-03-25
status: engrossed
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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next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb528.md
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 571
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb527.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 527
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-03-03
last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported
sponsors:
  - Randy Robertson
  - Clint Dixon
  - John Albers
  - Marty Harbin
  - Billy Hickman
  - Mike Hodges
  - Max Burns
  - Jason T. Dickerson
  - Lee Anderson
  - Matt Brass
  - Shawn Still
  - Chuck Payne
  - Joseph Gullett
text_version: Engrossed
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB527/2025
upstream_id: 2119570
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - sheriff elections
  - peace officer certification
  - law enforcement qualifications
  - election candidacy rules
---

# SB 527. Sheriffs; candidates for the office of sheriff are certified peace officers at the time of qualifying as a candidate; require

## Text

Senate Bill 527
By: Senators Robertson of the 29th, Dixon of the 45th, Albers of the 56th, Harbin of the
16th, Hickman of the 4th and others
AS PASSED SENATE
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 15-16-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
qualification requirements for sheriff and exemptions, so as to require that candidates for the
office of sheriff are certified peace officers at the time of qualifying as a candidate; 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 15-16-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to qualification
requirements for sheriff and exemptions, is amended by revising subparagraph (c)(1)(J) and
paragraph (2) of subsection (c) as follows:
"(J) At the time of qualifying as a candidate for the office of sheriff, is a certified peace
officer, as defined in Chapter 8 of Title 35, not under revocation by the Georgia Peace
Officer Standards and Training Council and files with the officer before whom such
person qualifies a form signed by the executive director of the Georgia Peace Officer
Standards and Training Council, or his or her designee, that attests and certifies such;
<del>provided, however, that any person who is not a certified peace officer at the time of
qualifying as a candidate for the office of sheriff but is a first responder, as such term
</del>
<del>is defined in Code Section 45-25-2, is a retired or honorably discharged member of the
United States armed forces, or is a former or current local, state, or federal law
enforcement officer shall swear or affirm before the officer before whom such person
has qualified to seek the office of sheriff that he or she is capable of and will complete
the requirements for certification within six months after taking office. Any such first
responder, retired or honorably discharged member of the United States armed forces,
or former or current local, state, or federal law enforcement officer who is not a
certified peace officer at the time such person assumes the office of sheriff shall be
required to complete satisfactorily the requirements for certification as a peace officer
as provided in Chapter 8 of Title 35 within six months after such person takes office;
provided, however, that an extension of the time to complete such requirements may
be granted by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council upon the
presentation of evidence by a sheriff that he or she was unable to complete the basic
training course and certification requirements due to illness, injury, military service, or
other reasons deemed sufficient by such council. The Georgia Peace Officer Standards
and Training Council shall make every effort to ensure that space is available for newly
elected sheriffs who are not certified peace officers to attend the course as soon as
possible after such persons take office. Such council shall notify the appropriate judge
of the probate court whenever a newly elected sheriff who is not certified fails to
become certified as a peace officer pursuant to the requirements of this subparagraph.
</del> (2) Each person offering his or her candidacy for the office of sheriff shall swear or
affirm before the officer before whom such person has qualified to seek the office of
sheriff that he or she meets all of the qualifications required by this subsection, <del>except as
otherwise provided in subparagraph (J) of paragraph (1) of this subsection,</del> at the time
such person qualifies, <ins>and</ins> that he or she has complied or will comply with the
requirements of subparagraph (G) of paragraph (1) of this subsection no later than the
close of business on the third business day following the close of such qualification
period, <del>and that, if applicable, he or she will comply with the requirements of
subparagraph (J) of paragraph (1) of this subsection within six months of taking office.
</del> Any person who knowingly provides false information in executing the affidavit required
by this paragraph commits the offense of false swearing within the meaning of and
subject to the penalties prescribed in Code Section 16-10-71 and submission of a false
document in violation of Code Section 16-10-20."
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 Senate bill would require anyone running for sheriff to already be a certified peace officer at the time they file to run, removing a current option that let some candidates get certified after taking office.

### Plain-language summary

Under current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 15-16-1), candidates for sheriff generally must be certified peace officers, but there is an exception: a first responder, a retired or honorably discharged member of the U.S. armed forces, or a current or former law enforcement officer who is not yet certified can still run if they swear they will complete certification within six months after taking office, with possible extensions granted by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council for illness, injury, or military service.
This bill strikes that entire exception. It revises Code Section 15-16-1 so that every candidate for sheriff must be a certified peace officer, not under revocation by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, at the time they qualify as a candidate, with no six-month grace period afterward. It also updates the sworn affidavit candidates must file to remove references to the old six-month compliance option. The bill repeals conflicting laws and does not state a delayed effective date.

### What it does

- Removes the option for first responders, veterans, and current or former law enforcement officers to run for sheriff without being certified and complete certification within six months after taking office.
- Requires all sheriff candidates to be certified peace officers, and not under certification revocation, at the exact time they file to qualify as a candidate.
- Eliminates the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council's process for granting extensions to newly elected, uncertified sheriffs.
- Revises the sworn candidate affidavit so it no longer references a promise to become certified after taking office.
- Keeps in place the existing rule that knowingly filing a false candidate affidavit is false swearing and submitting a false document, both punishable under other Georgia criminal code sections.

### Who it affects

People considering running for sheriff in Georgia, including first responders, military veterans, and current or former law enforcement officers who previously could qualify without prior peace officer certification. It also affects the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and probate court judges who oversee the certification and notification process.

### Why it matters

Some candidates who could previously run for sheriff while working toward certification during their first six months in office would no longer be eligible to qualify unless already certified. This narrows who can appear on the ballot for sheriff and removes a path used by veterans and first responders without law enforcement certification.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 revises subparagraph (c)(1)(J) of O.C.G.A. § 15-16-1 to require certified peace officer status, unrevoked by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, at the moment of qualifying as a candidate.
- Section 1 deletes language that let first responders, veterans, and former or current law enforcement officers qualify without certification if they promised to certify within six months of taking office.
- Section 1 removes the council's authority to grant time extensions for newly elected uncertified sheriffs and the requirement that the council notify the probate court of uncertified sheriffs.
- Section 1 revises paragraph (2) of subsection (c) to strike the reference to a candidate's promise to comply with certification requirements within six months of taking office in the sworn affidavit.
- Section 1 keeps the penalty provision making false statements in the candidate affidavit punishable as false swearing (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-71) and submission of a false document (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20).
- Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws in conflict with the Act.

## Status

- Status: Engrossed (2026-03-03)
- Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported (2026-03-25)
- Sponsors: Randy Robertson, Clint Dixon, John Albers, Marty Harbin, Billy Hickman, Mike Hodges, Max Burns, Jason T. Dickerson, Lee Anderson, Matt Brass, Shawn Still, Chuck Payne, Joseph Gullett
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73378

> The history, votes, and amendments (571 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb527.md?full=1