15-6-3. Terms of court.

Active

Current through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

The terms of court for the superior courts for each of the judicial circuits shall commence as follows:
(1)
Alapaha Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Atkinson County — First Monday in April and October.#
2. (B)
  Berrien County — First Monday in February and August.#
3. (C)
  Clinch County — Third Monday in March and September.#
4. (D)
  Cook County — Second Monday in January and July.#
5. (E)
  Lanier County — Fourth Monday in April and October;#
6. provided, however, that if any term of court in the Alapaha Circuit begins on an official state holiday, the term of court shall commence on the following Tuesday; and if any other day within the term of court shall be an official state holiday, the court shall be closed for that holiday.
(2)
Alcovy Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Newton County — Second and third Mondays in January, April, July, and October.#
2. (B)
  Walton County — First and second Mondays in February, May, August, and November.#
(2.1)
Appalachian Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Fannin County — Second Monday in May and second Monday in November.#
2. (B)
  Gilmer County — Second Monday in April and second Monday in October.#
3. (C)
  Pickens County — Second Monday in March and second Monday in September.#
(3)
Atlanta Circuit:#
1. Fulton County — First Monday in January, March, May, July, September, and November.
(4)
Atlantic Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Bryan County — Third Monday in March and first Monday in November.#
2. (B)
  Evans County — First Monday in February and first Monday in August.#
3. (C)
  Liberty County — Second Monday in February and September.#
4. (D)
  Long County — First Monday in March and third Monday in August.#
5. (E)
  McIntosh County — Third Monday in May and first Monday in December.#
6. (F)
  Tattnall County — Third Monday in April and October.#
(5)
Augusta Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Burke County — Fourth Monday in April and October.#
2. (B)
  Richmond County — Third Monday in January, March, May, July, September, and November.#
(5.1)
Bell-Forsyth Circuit:#
1. Forsyth County — Second Monday in March, July, and November.
(6)
Blue Ridge Circuit:#
1. Cherokee County — Second Monday in January, May, and September.
(7)
Brunswick Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Appling County — Second and third Mondays in February and third and fourth Mondays in October.#
2. (B)
  Camden County — First Monday in April and November.#
3. (C)
  Glynn County — Second Monday in March and September.#
4. (D)
  Jeff Davis County — First and second Mondays in March; fourth Monday in September; and first Monday in October.#
5. (E)
  Wayne County — Third and fourth Mondays in April and November.#
(8)
Chattahoochee Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Chattahoochee County — Fourth Monday in March and September.#
2. (B)
  Harris County — Second Monday in January, May, and September.#
3. (C)
  Marion County — Fourth Monday in April and October.#
4. (D)
  Muscogee County — First Monday in February, April, June, August, October, and December.#
5. (E)
  Talbot County — Second Monday in March and November and third Monday in August.#
6. (F)
  Taylor County — Second Monday in February, June, and October.#
(9)
Cherokee Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Bartow County — First Monday in February, May, August, and November.#
2. (B)
  Gordon County — First Monday in March, December, and June; and second Monday in September.#
(10)
Clayton Circuit:#
1. Clayton County — First Monday in February, May, August, and November.
(11)
Cobb Circuit:#
1. Cobb County — Second Monday in January, March, May, July, September, and November.
(11.1)
Columbia Circuit:#
1. Columbia County —Fourth Monday in March and September.
(12)
Conasauga Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Murray County — Second Monday in February and August.#
2. (B)
  Whitfield County — Second Monday in January and July.#
(13)
Cordele Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Ben Hill County — Second and third Mondays in January; first, second, and third Mondays in April; third and fourth Mondays in June; and third and fourth Mondays in September and Monday following.#
2. (B)
  Crisp County — Third and fourth Mondays in February and Monday following; third and fourth Mondays in May; first, second, and third Mondays in August; and second and third Mondays in November.#
3. (C)
  Dooly County — First and second Mondays in February; fourth Monday in April and Monday following; third and fourth Mondays in July; and third and fourth Mondays in October.#
4. (D)
  Wilcox County — Second and third Mondays in March; fourth Monday in August and Monday following; and first and second Mondays in December.#
(14)
Coweta Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Coweta County — First Monday in March and first Tuesday in September.#
2. (B)
  Meriwether County — Third Monday in February, May, August, and November.#
3. (C)
  Troup County — First Monday in February, May, August, and November.#
(14.1)
DeKalb Circuit:#
1. DeKalb County — First Monday in January, March, May, July, September, and November.
(15)
Dougherty Circuit:#
1. Dougherty County — Second Monday in January, March, May, July, September, and November.
(15.1)
Douglas Circuit:#
1. Douglas County — Second Monday in April and October.
(16)
Dublin Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Johnson County — Third Monday in March, June, September, and December.#
2. (B)
  Laurens County — Fourth Monday in January, April, July, and October.#
3. (C)
  Treutlen County — Third Monday in February and August.#
4. (D)
  Twiggs County — Second Monday in January, April, July, and October.#
(17)
Eastern Circuit:#
1. Chatham County — First Monday in March, June, September, and December.
(17.1)
Enotah Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Towns County — January 1 and July 1.#
2. (B)
  Union County — January 1 and July 1.#
3. (C)
  Lumpkin County — Fourth Monday in February and August.#
4. (D)
  White County — First Monday in April and October.#
(18)
Flint Circuit:#
1. Henry County — Fourth Monday in January, April, and October and second Monday in July.
(19)
Griffin Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Fayette County — Second Monday in March and second Monday in September.#
2. (B)
  Pike County — Second Monday in March and second Monday in September.#
3. (C)
  Spalding County — Second Monday in March and second Monday in September.#
4. (D)
  Upson County — Second Monday in March and second Monday in September.#
(20)
Gwinnett Circuit:#
1. Gwinnett County — First Monday in March, June, and December and second Monday in September.
(21)
Houston Circuit:#
1. Houston County — First Monday in January, April, July, and October.
(22)
Lookout Mountain Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Catoosa County — First Monday in March and second Monday in September.#
2. (B)
  Chattooga County — First Monday in February and August.#
3. (C)
  Dade County — First Monday in April and second Monday in October.#
4. (D)
  Walker County — First Monday in May and November.#
(23)
Macon Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Bibb County — First Monday in February, April, June, August, October, and December.#
2. (B)
  Crawford County — Third and fourth Mondays in March and October.#
3. (C)
  Peach County — First and second Mondays in March and August and third and fourth Mondays in November.#
(24)
Middle Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Candler County — First and second Mondays in February and August.#
2. (B)
  Emanuel County — Second Monday in January, April, July, and October.#
3. (C)
  Jefferson County — Second Monday in May and November.#
4. (D)
  Toombs County — Fourth Monday in February, May, August, and November.#
5. (E)
  Washington County — First Monday in March, June, September, and December.#
(25)
Mountain Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Banks County — January 1 and July 1.#
2. (B)
  Habersham County — January 1 and July 1.#
3. (C)
  Rabun County — January 1 and July 1.#
4. (D)
  Stephens County — January 1 and July 1.#
(26)
Northeastern Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Dawson County — First Monday in March and second Monday in September.#
2. (B)
  Hall County — Second Monday in January, April, and July, and first Monday in October.#
(27)
Northern Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Elbert County — Third Monday in January and fourth Monday in July.#
2. (B)
  Franklin County — Third Monday in March and September.#
3. (C)
  Hart County — Third Monday in February and August.#
4. (D)
  Madison County — Third Monday in April and October.#
5. (E)
  Oglethorpe County — Third Monday in May and November.#
(28)
Ocmulgee Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Baldwin County — Second Monday in January, April, July, and October.#
2. (B)
  Greene County — Fourth Monday in January, April, August, and November.#
3. (C)
  Hancock County — Fourth Monday in March and September.#
4. (D)
  Jasper County — Second Monday in February, May, August, and November.#
5. (E)
  Jones County — First Monday in February and August and third Monday in April and October.#
6. (F)
  Morgan County — First Monday in March, June, September, and December.#
7. (G)
  Putnam County — Third Monday in March, June, September, and December.#
8. (H)
  Wilkinson County — Fourth Monday in February, first Monday in April and October, and third Monday in August.#
(29)
Oconee Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Bleckley County — Second Monday in March and July and fourth Monday in October, and there shall be a grand jury for each term.#
2. (B)
  Dodge County — Third Monday in February, first Monday in June, and last Monday in September, and there shall be a grand jury for each term.#
3. (C)
  Montgomery County — First Monday in February and second Monday in August, and there shall be a grand jury for each term.#
4. (D)
  Pulaski County — Second Monday in April and September and first Monday in December, and there shall be a grand jury for each term.#
5. (E)
  Telfair County — Third Monday in March and August and first Monday in November, and there shall be a grand jury for each term.#
6. (F)
  Wheeler County — Last Monday in January and first Monday in August, and there shall be a grand jury for each term.#
(30)
Ogeechee Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Bulloch County — First Monday in February, May, August, and November.#
2. (B)
  Effingham County — First Monday in June and December.#
3. (C)
  Jenkins County — First Monday in March and September.#
4. (D)
  Screven County — Second Monday in January and first Monday in April, July, and October.#
(31)
Pataula Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Clay County — Second Monday in March and September.#
2. (B)
  Early County — Second Monday in January and July.#
3. (C)
  Miller County — Third Monday in February and August.#
4. (D)
  Quitman County — Fourth Monday in March and September.#
5. (E)
  Randolph County — Second Monday in May and November.#
6. (F)
  Seminole County — Third Monday in April and October.#
7. (G)
  Terrell County — First Monday in June and December.#
(31.1)
Paulding Circuit:#
1. Paulding County — Second Monday in January and July.
(32)
Piedmont Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Barrow County — First Monday in February and August; and there shall be a grand jury for each term, but the grand jury shall not be required to be impaneled in the first day of each term.#
2. (B)
  Jackson County — First Monday in February and August; and there shall be a grand jury for each term, but the grand jury shall not be required to be impaneled in the first day of each term.#
(32.1)
Rockdale Circuit:#
1. Rockdale County — First Monday in January, April, July, and October.
(33)
Rome Circuit:#
1. Floyd County — Second Monday in January, March, July, and September and first Monday in May and November.
(34)
South Georgia Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Baker County — Third Monday in January and July.#
2. (B)
  Calhoun County — Last Monday in May and November.#
3. (C)
  Decatur County — First Monday in May and November.#
4. (D)
  Grady County — Third Monday in March and September.#
5. (E)
  Mitchell County — Third Monday in April and October.#
(35)
Southern Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Brooks County — First Monday in April and October.#
2. (B)
  Colquitt County — First Monday in February and August.#
3. (C)
  Echols County — First Monday in February and August.#
4. (D)
  Lowndes County — First Monday in March and first Tuesday immediately following first Monday in September.#
5. (E)
  Thomas County — First Monday in April and October.#
(36)
Southwestern Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Lee County — Fourth Monday in April and October.#
2. (B)
  Macon County — Second Monday in May and November.#
3. (C)
  Schley County — Second Monday in February and August.#
4. (D)
  Stewart County — Third Monday in March and September.#
5. (E)
  Sumter County — Fourth Monday in February, May, and August and the Monday following the fourth Thursday in November.#
6. (F)
  Webster County — Second Monday in January and July.#
(37)
Reserved.#
(38)
Tallapoosa Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Haralson County — Third Monday in January and August.#
2. (B)
  Polk County — Third Monday in March and July;#
3. provided, however, that in the Tallapoosa Circuit, if the Monday set for the term of court to begin is a legal holiday, the term of court shall commence on the Tuesday next following that Monday.
(39)
Tifton Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Irwin County — Second Monday in February and second Monday in August.#
2. (B)
  Tift County — Second Monday in March and second Monday in September.#
3. (C)
  Turner County — Second Monday in April and second Monday in October.#
4. (D)
  Worth County — Second Monday in January and second Monday in July.#
(40)
Toombs Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Glascock County — Third Monday in February, May, August, and November.#
2. (B)
  Lincoln County — Fourth Monday in January, third Monday in April, fourth Monday in July, and third Monday in October.#
3. (C)
  McDuffie County — Second Monday in March, June, September, and December.#
4. (D)
  Taliaferro County — Fourth Monday in February, May, August, and November.#
5. (E)
  Warren County — Third Monday in January and first Monday in April, July, and October.#
6. (F)
  Wilkes County — First Monday in February, May, August, and November.#
(40.1)
Towaliga Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Butts County — Second Monday in January, April, July, and October.#
2. (B)
  Lamar County — Second Monday in March, June, September, and December.#
3. (C)
  Monroe County — Second Monday in February, May, August, and November.#
(41)
Waycross Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Bacon County — Third Monday in April and October.#
2. (B)
  Brantley County — Fourth Monday in February and August.#
3. (C)
  Charlton County — Second Monday in February and August.#
4. (D)
  Coffee County — Second Monday in March and September.#
5. (E)
  Pierce County — Third Monday in March and September.#
6. (F)
  Ware County — Second Monday in April and October.#
7. provided, however, that the grand jury shall not be required to be impaneled on the first day of each new term but upon a date and time as scheduled by the court.
(41.1)
West Georgia Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Carroll County — Second Monday in January, first Monday in April, third Monday in June, and first Monday in October.#
2. (B)
  Heard County — Second Monday in January, first Monday in April, third Monday in June, and first Monday in October.#
(42)
Western Circuit:#
1. (A)
  Clarke County — Second Monday in January, April, July, and October.#
2. (B)
  Oconee County — Second Monday in March and September.#

The notes below are printed with the section but are not enacted law (O.C.G.A. § 1-1-1(c)). They are shown apart from the text.

History

Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 15; Ga. L. 1982, p. 439, §§ 1, 5; Ga. L. 1982, p. 536, § 2; Ga. L. 1982, p. 546, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 3, § 12; Ga. L. 1983, p. 405, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 415, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 418, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 761, § 4; Ga. L. 1984, p. 22, § 15; Ga. L. 1984, p. 331, § 1; Ga. L. 1984, p. 351, § 1; Ga. L. 1984, p. 439, § 1; Ga. L. 1984, p. 440, § 1; Ga. L. 1984, p. 498, § 1; Ga. L. 1985, p. 281, § 1; Ga. L. 1986, p. 230, § 1; Ga. L. 1986, p. 1526, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 2, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 37, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 250, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 294, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 295, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 296, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 257, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 258, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 551, § 1; Ga. L. 1989, p. 283, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 920, § 2; Ga. L. 1991, p. 372, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1786, § 4; Ga. L. 1993, p. 447, § 1; Ga. L. 1993, p. 805, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 360, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 1052, § 1; Ga. L. 1996, p. 829, § 1; Ga. L. 1998, p. 220, § 4; Ga. L. 1999, p. 67, § 15; Ga. L. 1999, p. 81, § 15; Ga. L. 1999, p. 158, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1242, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1312, § 1; Ga. L. 2002, p. 405, § 3-4; Ga. L. 2002, p. 468, §§ 1, 3; Ga. L. 2006, p. 701, § 1/SB 264; Ga. L. 2006, p. 873, §§ 1, 2/HB 1496; Ga. L. 2006, p. 893, § 1/HB 1423; Ga. L. 2007, p. 47, § 15/SB 103; Ga. L. 2007, p. 89, § 1/SB 177; Ga. L. 2007, p. 278, § 1/HB 53; Ga. L. 2008, p. 324, § 15/SB 455; Ga. L. 2009, p. 847, § 1/HB 216; Ga. L. 2013, p. 570, § 3-1/HB 451; Ga. L. 2014, p. 482, § 1/SB 386; Ga. L. 2018, p. 231, § 1/HB 808; Ga. L. 2019, p. 313, § 1/HB 296; Ga. L. 2021, p. 5, § 4-3/SB 9; Ga. L. 2024, p. 738, § 4/HB 158, effective January 1, 2025; Ga. L. 2024, p. 919, § 2-2/SB 259, effective January 1, 2025; Ga. L. 2024, p. 961, § 3-3/SB 424, effective July 1, 2024.

Amendments

The 2021 amendment, effective July 1, 2021, deleted former subparagraph (5)(B), which read: “Columbia County — Fourth Monday in March and September.”; redesignated former subparagraph (5)(C) as present subparagraph (5)(B); and added paragraph (11.1). The first 2024 amendment, effective January 1, 2025, added paragraph (14.1) and substituted “Reserved” for “Stone Mountain Circuit: DeKalb County — First Monday in January, March, May, July, September, and November” in paragraph (37). The second 2024 amendment, effective January 1, 2025, added subparagraph (25)(A) and redesignated former subparagraphs (25)(A) through (25)(C) as present subparagraphs (25)(B) through (25)(D); deleted former subparagraph (32)(A), which read: “Banks County — First Monday in February and August; and there shall be a grand jury for each term, but the grand jury shall not be required to be impaneled in the first day of each term.”, and redesignated former subparagraphs (32)(B) and (32)(C) as present subparagraphs (32)(A) and (32)(B). The third 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, rewrote paragraph (14) and added paragraph (41.1).

Editor's notes

Ga. L. 2021, p. 5, §§ 1-1 through 3-4/SB 9, not codified by the General Assembly, provided for creation of the Columbia Judicial Circuit, which circuit shall be composed of Columbia County, provided for the transfer of pending litigation from the Superior Court of Columbia County at such time as it was a part of the Augusta Judicial Circuit, and provided for terms, election of successors, powers, duties, dignities, jurisdiction, privileges, immunities, and other similar matters. Ga. L. 2024, p. 738, § 1/HB 158, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “On and after January 1, 2025, the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit shall be known and may be referred to as the DeKalb Judicial Circuit. Any reference in local law to the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit shall be deemed to refer to the DeKalb Judicial Circuit.” Ga. L. 2024, p. 919, §§ 1-1 through 3-2/SB 259, not codified by the General Assembly, provided for transfer of Banks County from the Piedmont Judicial Circuit to the Mountain Judicial Circuit, provided for the transfer of pending litigation from the Superior Court of Banks County at such time as it was a part of the Piedmont Judicial Circuit, and provided for terms, election of successors, powers, duties, dignities, jurisdiction, privileges, immunities, and other similar matters. Ga. L. 2024, p. 919, § 2-2/SB 259, which amended this Code section, purported to strike paragraph (5) and enact paragraph (32), but paragraph (32) already existed. Ga. L. 2024, p. 961, §§ 1-1 through 2-5/SB 424, not codified by the General Assembly, provided for creation of the West Georgia Judicial Circuit, which circuit shall be composed of Carroll County and Heard County, provided for the transfer of pending litigation from the Superior Courts of Carroll County and Heard County respectively, at such time as each was part of the Coweta Judicial Circuit, and provided for terms, election of successors, powers, duties, dignities, jurisdiction, privileges, immunities, and other similar matters. Ga. L. 2024, p. 961, §§ 1-1 through 2-5/SB 424, which moved the Counties of Carroll and Heard from the Coweta Judicial Circuit to the newly created West Georgia Judicial Circuit, became effective January 1, 2025, while the amendment to this Code section is effective July 1, 2024.

Read the official page (the state's PDF, opened at the page this text was read from).

Current through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Text read from t15-ch1-11a-(v13)-pdf.pdf, Volume V13, 2020 edition, 2025 supplement, pages 43 to 54; merge action: replaced; file SHA-256 d86fd6e4449f.

Ask about this section

The answer is drawn from this section and, when they fit, the other sections of its chapter. It quotes the text and names the section for each claim. Not legal advice.