---
title: O.C.G.A. § 15-11-243.1. Summons; required parties; personal appearance of adults or children; waiver of service.
collection: code
id: 15-11-243.1
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 15-11-243.1 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-243.1
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-243.1.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-243.1/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=190
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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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: COURTS / JUVENILE CODE / DEPENDENCY PROCEEDINGS / PERMANENT GUARDIANSHIP
---

# O.C.G.A. § 15-11-243.1. Summons; required parties; personal appearance of adults or children; waiver of service.

(a) The court shall direct the issuance of a summons to the legal mother, legal father, biological father, legal custodian, attorney, and guardian ad litem, if any, of the child who was adjudicated as a dependent child and any other persons who appear to the court to be proper or necessary parties to the proceeding. A copy of such petition shall accompany the summons unless the summons is served by publication, in which case the published summons shall indicate the general nature of the allegations and where a copy of such petition can be obtained.

(b) No service of summons shall be required for any parent whose parental rights have been terminated or voluntarily surrendered.

(c) The court shall direct notice and a copy of the petition be provided to the child named in the petition if the child is 14 years of age or older.

(d) The court may endorse upon the summons an order directing the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the child named in the petition to appear personally at the hearing or directing the person having the physical custody or control of such child to bring such child to the hearing.

(e) A party other than the child named in the petition may waive service of summons by written stipulation or by voluntary appearance at the hearing.

## History

Code 1981, § 15-11-243.1, enacted by Ga. L. 2023, p. 367, § 2/SB 131, effective July 1, 2023.

## Effective Date

This Code section became effective July 1, 2023.