---
title: O.C.G.A. § 15-10-101. Eligibility of constables.
collection: code
id: 15-10-101
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 15-10-101 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-10-101
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-10-101.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-10-101/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t15-ch1-11a-(v13)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=9c57686b_0#page=117
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: COURTS / MAGISTRATE COURTS / CONSTABLES, CLERK, AND OTHER COURT PERSONNEL
---

# O.C.G.A. § 15-10-101. Eligibility of constables.

(a) Each constable taking office on or after July 1, 2023, shall:

(1) Be at least 21 years of age;

(2) Be a citizen of the United States;

(3) Be a registered voter; and

(4) Have obtained a state approved high school equivalency (HSE) diploma.

(b) Additional qualifications for the office of chief constable or constable or both may be imposed by local law.

## History

Code 1981, § 15-10-101, enacted by Ga. L. 1983, p. 884, § 2-1; Ga. L. 1986, p. 198, § 1; Ga. L. 2024, p. 668, § 1/HB 166, effective July 1, 2024; Ga. L. 2025, p. 1029, § 15(2)/SB 153, effective July 1, 2025.

## Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, substituted the present provisions of this Code section for the former provisions, which read: “(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, the eligibility for constable is the same as for magistrate.

“(b) Each constable shall have attained the age of at least 21 years prior to the date of his assuming the duties of constable.”

The 2025 amendment, effective July 1, 2025, part of an Act to revise, modernize, and correct the Code, substituted “approved high school equivalency (HSE)” for “accredited high school diploma or general educational development (GED)” in paragraph (a)(4).