---
title: O.C.G.A. § 11-3-406. Negligence contributing to forged signature or alteration of instrument.
collection: code
id: 11-3-406
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 11-3-406 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/11-3-406
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/11-3-406.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/11-3-406/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t11-(v9)-2022-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=b5451bbd_0#page=426
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: COMMERCIAL CODE / NEGOTIABLE INSTRUMENTS / LIABILITY OF PARTIES
---

# O.C.G.A. § 11-3-406. Negligence contributing to forged signature or alteration of instrument.

(a) A person whose failure to exercise ordinary care substantially contributes to an alteration of an instrument or to the making of a forged signature on an instrument is precluded from asserting the alteration or the forgery against a person who, in good faith, pays the instrument or takes it for value or for collection.

(b) Under subsection (a) of this Code section, if the person asserting the preclusion fails to exercise ordinary care in paying or taking the instrument and that failure substantially contributes to loss, the loss is allocated between the person precluded and the person asserting the preclusion according to the extent to which the failure of each to exercise ordinary care contributed to the loss.

(c) Under subsection (a) of this Code section, the burden of proving failure to exercise ordinary care is on the person asserting the preclusion. Under subsection (b) of this Code section, the burden of proving failure to exercise ordinary care is on the person precluded.

## History

Code 1981, § 11-3-406, enacted by Ga. L. 1996, p. 1306, § 3.