---
title: O.C.G.A. § 16-10-24. Obstructing or hindering law enforcement officers.
collection: code
id: 16-10-24
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 16-10-24 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-10-24
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-10-24.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-10-24/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t16-ch7-11-(v14a)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=f5e4f5fa_0#page=67
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: CRIMES AND OFFENSES / OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / OBSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND RELATED OFFENSES
---

# O.C.G.A. § 16-10-24. Obstructing or hindering law enforcement officers.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, a person who knowingly and willfully obstructs or hinders any law enforcement officer, prison guard, jailer, correctional officer, community supervision officer, county or Department of Juvenile Justice juvenile probation officer, probation officer serving pursuant to Article 6 of Chapter 8 of Title 42, or game warden in the lawful discharge of his or her official duties shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(b) Whoever knowingly and willfully resists, obstructs, or opposes any law enforcement officer, prison guard, jailer, correctional officer, community supervision officer, county or Department of Juvenile Justice juvenile probation officer, probation officer serving pursuant to Article 6 of Chapter 8 of Title 42, or game warden in the lawful discharge of his or her official duties by offering or doing violence to the person of such officer or legally authorized person shall be guilty of a felony and shall, upon a first conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than five years. Upon a second conviction for a violation of this subsection, such person shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than two years nor more than ten years. Upon a third or subsequent conviction for a violation of this subsection, such person shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than three years nor more than 15 years.

(c) Whoever knowingly and willfully resists, obstructs, or opposes any law enforcement officer, prison guard, jailer, correctional officer, community supervision officer, county or Department of Juvenile Justice juvenile probation officer, probation officer serving pursuant to Article 6 of Chapter 8 of Title 42, or game warden in the lawful discharge of his or her official duties by knowingly and willfully throwing, projecting, or expelling human or animal blood, urine, feces, vomitus, or seminal fluid on or at such individual shall be guilty of a felony and shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than five years.

(d) A person convicted under this Code section shall be punished, in addition to any term of imprisonment imposed, by a fine as provided by law which shall be at least $300.00. With respect to $300.00 of the fine imposed, after distributing the surcharges and deductions required by Chapter 21 of Title 15, Code Sections 36-15-9 and 42-8-34, and Title 47, it shall be earmarked for the Georgia State Indemnification Fund for purposes of payment of indemnification for death or disability as provided for in Part 1 of Article 5 of Chapter 9 of Title 45.

## History

Laws 1833, Cobb’s 1851 Digest, p. 806.; Code 1863, § 4370; Ga. L. 1865-66, p. 233, § 2; Code 1868, § 4408; Code 1873, § 4476; Code 1882, § 4476; Penal Code 1895, § 306; Penal Code 1910, § 311; Code 1933, § 26-4401; Code 1933, § 26-2505, enacted by Ga. L. 1968, p. 1249, § 1; Ga. L. 1986, p. 484, § 1; Ga. L. 2015, p. 422, § 5-22/HB 310; Ga. L. 2017, p. 500, § 3-4/SB 160; Ga. L. 2019, p. 808, § 7/SB 72.

## Law Reviews

For article “Crimes of Suspicion” see 72 Emory L.J. 1429 (2023).

## Amendments

The 2019 amendment, effective July 1, 2019, substituted “game warden” for “conservation ranger” in subsections (a), (b), and (c).