---
title: O.C.G.A. § 16-11-221. Domestic terrorism; penalties.
collection: code
id: 16-11-221
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 16-11-221 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-11-221
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-11-221.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-11-221/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=165
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/16-11.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: CRIMES AND OFFENSES / OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER AND SAFETY / DOMESTIC TERRORISM
---

# O.C.G.A. § 16-11-221. Domestic terrorism; penalties.

(a) A person commits the crime of domestic terrorism when he or she commits or attempts to commit a felony violation of the laws of this state which, as part of a single unlawful act or a series of unlawful acts which are interrelated by distinguishing characteristics, is intended to cause serious bodily harm, kill any individual or group of individuals, or disable or destroy critical infrastructure, a state or government facility, or a public transportation system when such disability or destruction results in major economic loss, and is intended to:

(1) Intimidate the civilian population of this state or any of its political subdivisions;

(2) Alter, change, or coerce the policy of the government of this state or any of its political subdivisions by intimidation or coercion; or

(3) Affect the conduct of the government of this state or any of its political subdivisions by use of destructive devices, assassination, or kidnapping.

(b) Any person who commits domestic terrorism shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof shall be punished as follows:

(1) If death results to any individual, by death, by imprisonment for life without parole, or by imprisonment for life;

(2) If kidnapping occurs, by imprisonment for not less than 15 nor more than 35 years, or by imprisonment for life;

(3) If serious bodily harm occurs, by imprisonment for not less than 15 nor more than 35 years; or

(4) If critical infrastructure, a state or government facility, or a public transportation system is disabled or destroyed, by imprisonment for not less than five nor more than 35 years.

(c) No sentence imposed under this Code section shall be suspended, stayed, probated, deferred, or withheld by the sentencing court; provided, however, that in the court’s discretion, the court may suspend, stay, probate, defer, or withhold part of such sentence when the prosecuting attorney and the defendant have agreed to such sentence.

## History

Code 1981, § 16-11-221, enacted by Ga. L. 2017, p. 536, § 2-2/HB 452; Ga. L. 2025, p. 224, § 2-2/HB 161, effective July 1, 2025.

## Amendments

The 2025 amendment, effective July 1, 2025, added subsection (a) and redesignated former subsections (a) and (b) as present subsections (b) and (c).