---
title: O.C.G.A. § 12-4-143. Defacing or disturbing natural condition of cave; breaking or tampering with gates, doors, or other device controlling or preventing access to caves; trespass.
collection: code
id: 12-4-143
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 12-4-143 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-143
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-143.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-143/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t12-(v10)-2021-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=67595359_0#page=347
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.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-142.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-144.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES / MINERAL RESOURCES AND CAVES / CAVE PROTECTION
---

# O.C.G.A. § 12-4-143. Defacing or disturbing natural condition of cave; breaking or tampering with gates, doors, or other device controlling or preventing access to caves; trespass.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person, without the express written permission of the owner, willfully or knowingly to:

(1) Break, break off, crack, carve upon, write upon, burn, or otherwise mark upon, remove, or in any manner destroy, disturb, deface, mar, or harm the surfaces of any cave or any natural or archeological material therein, including speleothems;

(2) Disturb or alter in any manner the natural condition of any cave;

(3) Break, force, tamper with, or otherwise disturb a lock, gate, door, or other obstruction designed to control or prevent access to any cave, even though entrance thereto may not be gained; or

(4) Enter a cave posted against trespassing or a cave with a lock, gate, door, or other obstruction designed to control or prevent access to the cave.

(b) Any person who violates any provision of subsection (a) of this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

## History

Ga. L. 1977, p. 833, § 4; Ga. L. 1985, p. 1075, § 1.