---
title: O.C.G.A. § 15-11-16. Commencement of proceedings.
collection: code
id: 15-11-16
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 15-11-16 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-16
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-16.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-16/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t15-ch1-11a-(v13)-2020-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=d8a8826c_0#page=690
date: 2025
status: active
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publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: COURTS / JUVENILE CODE / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 15-11-16. Commencement of proceedings.

(a) A proceeding under this chapter may be commenced:

(1) By an order of transfer of a case from another court as provided in Code Section 15-11-11 or 15-11-567, subsection (f) of Code Section 29-2-6, or subsection (b) of Code Section 29-2-8;

(2) By the summons, notice to appear, or other citation in a proceeding charging a juvenile traffic offense or a violation of the laws, rules, and regulations governing the Department of Natural Resources Game and Fish Division; or

(3) By the filing of a petition for legitimation under Code Section 15-11-11, or in other cases by the filing of a complaint or a petition as provided in Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 of this chapter.

(b) The petition and all other documents in the proceeding shall be entitled ‘‘In the interest of , a child,’’ except upon appeal.

(c) On appeal, the anonymity of a child, and where appropriate, a victim or witness who is under the age of 18 years, shall be preserved by appropriate use of a child’s, victim’s, or witness’s initials as appropriate.

## History

Code 1981, § 15-11-16, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242; Ga. L. 2014, p. 780, § 1-4/SB 364; Ga. L. 2015, p. 540, § 1-4/HB 361.

## Cross References

Commencement of formal proceedings, Uniform Rules for the Juvenile Courts of Georgia, Rule 5.1 et seq.

## Law Reviews

For article proposing removal of delinquent or deprived juveniles from the category labeled ‘‘defendants,’’ see 23 Mercer L. Rev. 341 (1972).