Georgia CommonsSB 617: Dispossessory Proceedings; public access to court records of dispossessory proceedings under certain conditions; prohibit
Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action March 4, 2026 · Introduced
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
Senate Bill 617
By: Senators Halpern of the 39th, Jones II of the 22nd, Jackson of the 41st, Parent of the 44th and Kemp of the 38th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 3 of Chapter 7 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to dispossessory proceedings, so as to prohibit public access to court records of dispossessory proceedings under certain conditions; 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 3 of Chapter 7 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to dispossessory proceedings, is amended in Code Section 44-7-50, relating to demand for possession, procedure upon a tenant's refusal, and notice to vacate or pay, by adding a new subsection to read as follows:
"(e) A court of competent jurisdiction shall order all records of the court relating to a dispossessory proceeding to be made unavailable to the public when the tenant has prevailed in the proceeding, has met all the conditions of a settlement agreement, or three years have lapsed since the resolution of the dispossessory action."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.