SB527: SB527 Sheriffs; candidates for the office of sheriff are certified peace officers at the time of qualifying as a candidate; require

Georgia law already requires sheriff candidates to meet certain qualifications, including eventually becoming a certified peace officer. This bill rewrites part of that law (O.C.G.A. § 15-16-1) to spell out more precisely who must be certified at the moment they qualify to run and who can wait. Under the bill, a candidate must generally be a certified peace officer, not under revocation by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, and must file a signed form proving it when qualifying. Candidates who are not yet certified but are first responders, retired or honorably discharged members of the U.S. armed forces, or current or former law enforcement officers can still qualify if they swear they will complete certification within six months of taking office. The bill also restates that anyone who lies on the required sworn statement can be charged with false swearing and submitting a false document, and it directs the state training council to notify the local probate court if a newly elected sheriff misses the certification deadline.

• Requires sheriff candidates to be certified peace officers, or swear to complete certification within six months of taking office if they qualify under an exception.
• Limits the exception to first responders, retired or honorably discharged members of the U.S. armed forces, and current or former local, state, or federal law enforcement officers.
• Requires candidates to file a signed form from the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council proving their certification status when they qualify to run.
• Directs the state training council to notify the probate court if a newly elected sheriff fails to become certified within the required six months.
• Keeps in place criminal penalties, false swearing and submitting a false document, for candidates who lie on the required sworn statement about their qualifications.

People running for sheriff in Georgia's 159 counties, current and retired law enforcement officers, first responders, military veterans considering a run for sheriff, county probate courts, and the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, which certifies peace officers and reviews qualification paperwork.

The bill affects who can legally run for sheriff, an elected office with broad law enforcement power over a county. Candidates without prior law enforcement background but with qualifying military, first responder, or police experience could still run, but would face a firm six month deadline to get certified once in office.

• Section 1 revises subparagraph (c)(1)(J) of O.C.G.A. § 15-16-1 to require certified peace officer status at the time of qualifying, unless the candidate is a first responder, veteran, or law enforcement officer.
• Qualifying candidates who are not yet certified must swear they will complete peace officer certification within six months of taking office as sheriff.
• The Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council may grant extensions for illness, injury, military service, or other sufficient reasons, and must try to make training space available quickly for newly elected sheriffs.
• The council must notify the local probate court if a newly elected sheriff who was not certified fails to become certified within the required time.
• Section 1 also revises paragraph (c)(2) requiring candidates to swear they meet all qualifications, with false statements punishable as false swearing (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-71) and submitting a false document (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20).
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-25House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2026-03-06House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-04House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-03Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
5. 2026-03-03Senate Third Read (Senate)
6. 2026-02-25Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
7. 2026-02-24Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
8. 2026-02-19Senate Read and Referred (Senate)

• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)Primary sponsor
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Jason T. Dickerson (R, SD-021)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 3, 2026

   49 yea, 3 nay (0 not voting, 3 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #610

• sheriff elections
• law enforcement certification
• peace officer standards
• election qualifications