---
title: O.C.G.A. § 13-8-54. Judicial construction of covenants.
collection: code
id: 13-8-54
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 13-8-54 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/13-8-54
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/13-8-54.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/13-8-54/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t13-(v11)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=43f4ef39_0#page=135
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/13-8.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/13-8-53.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/13-8-55.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: CONTRACTS / ILLEGAL AND VOID CONTRACTS GENERALLY / RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS IN CONTRACTS
extraction_warnings:
  - bound_version_dropped:For effective date, see note.
---

# O.C.G.A. § 13-8-54. Judicial construction of covenants.

(a) A court shall construe a restrictive covenant to comport with the reasonable intent and expectations of the parties to the covenant and in favor of providing reasonable protection to all legitimate business interests established by the person seeking enforcement.

(b) In any action concerning enforcement of a restrictive covenant, a court shall not enforce a restrictive covenant unless it is in compliance with the provisions of Code Section 13-8-53; provided, however, that if a court finds that a contractually specified restraint does not comply with the provisions of Code Section 13-8-53, then the court may modify the restraint provision and grant only the relief reasonably necessary to protect such interest or interests and to achieve the original intent of the contracting parties to the extent possible.

## History

Code 1981, § 13-8-54, enacted by Ga. L. 2011, p. 399, § 4/HB 30.

## Law Reviews

For article, “Nearly a Decade Later: Surveying Georgia’s ‘New’ Noncompete Law,” see 26 Ga. St. B.J. 18 (Oct. 2020).