---
title: O.C.G.A. § 15-11-265. Suspension of right of voluntary surrender of parental rights.
collection: code
id: 15-11-265
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 15-11-265 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-265
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-265.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-265/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=973
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/15-11.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-264.md
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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 / TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 15-11-265. Suspension of right of voluntary surrender of parental rights.

Once a petition to terminate parental rights has been filed, the parent of a child adjudicated as a dependent child shall thereafter be without authority to affect the custody of his or her child except such parent may:

(1) Consent to a judgment terminating his or her parental rights; and

(2) Execute an act of surrender in favor of:

(A) A third party if all of the parties to the petition to terminate parental rights agree; or

(B) The department.

## History

Code 1981, § 15-11-265, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242; Ga. L. 2014, p. 780, § 1-17/SB 364.