HB1412: HB1412 Courts; payment of certain money arising from traffic fines generated by members of the Uniform Division of the Department of Public Safety; provide

Currently, when a Georgia State Patrol officer in the Uniform Division of the Department of Public Safety issues a traffic citation, the fine money (after court costs) generally goes to the county or municipal treasury where the case is handled. This bill changes that split for most cases. It amends O.C.G.A. § 15-21-2 and § 40-13-26 so that 70 percent of the remaining fine money from traffic tickets written by Uniform Division troopers goes to the state treasury's general fund instead of staying local. There is a carve-out: if the ticket was issued specifically by the department's motorcycle enforcement unit on an urban interstate system (a defined term meaning a closed-loop interstate highway inside the state), the money instead goes to the Department of Public Safety to fund its motorcycle enforcement program. The bill also adds new annual reporting requirements, due by January 31 each year, so county and municipal officials, the commissioner of public safety, and the state revenue commissioner are told how much fine revenue was generated in this way.

• Redirects 70 percent of the remaining traffic fine money (after costs) from Uniform Division trooper citations to the state general fund instead of the county or municipal treasury.
• Keeps a separate rule for citations from the motorcycle enforcement unit on urban interstate systems, sending that fine money to the Department of Public Safety for its motorcycle program.
• Requires court clerks to report annual county fine revenue from Uniform Division citations to the commissioner of public safety, the state revenue commissioner, and local county commissioners by January 31 each year.
• Requires probate or municipal court officials to make a similar annual report on municipal fine revenue from Uniform Division citations to state officials and local mayors or commissions.
• Defines 'urban interstate system' as a closed-loop interstate highway located entirely within Georgia, used to determine which fine-sharing rule applies.

County and municipal court clerks and treasuries, county and city governments that currently rely on this fine revenue, the Department of Public Safety and its Uniform Division troopers and motorcycle enforcement unit, and the state revenue commissioner's office, which will receive new reports and funds.

Counties and cities would lose a share of traffic fine revenue generated by state troopers, since 70 percent would now flow to the state treasury instead of local coffers, while the Department of Public Safety's motorcycle program would keep its dedicated funding stream from urban interstate citations.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 15-21-2 so that 70 percent of remaining fines from Uniform Division traffic citations goes to the state general fund rather than the county treasury.
• Section 1 keeps fines from motorcycle enforcement unit citations on urban interstate systems going to the Department of Public Safety for its motorcycle program.
• Section 1 adds a requirement that county court clerks report annual fine revenue from these citations to state and county officials by January 31.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-13-26 to apply the same 70 percent state treasury split and motorcycle program exception to fines handled by probate or municipal courts.
• Section 2 requires probate or municipal court officials to report annual municipal fine revenue from these citations to state officials and local mayors or commissions by January 31.
• Section 2 retains and restates the definition of 'urban interstate system' as a closed-loop interstate highway entirely within Georgia.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-02-25House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-24House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-20House Hopper (House)

• Lauren McDonald (R, HD-026)Primary sponsor
• Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
• Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
• James Burchett (R, HD-176)
• James Hatchett (R, HD-155)
• Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)

• traffic fines
• state troopers
• county revenue
• Department of Public Safety
• court funding