---
title: O.C.G.A. § 16-17-3. Collection of indebtedness barred; civil action permitted by borrowers.
collection: code
id: 16-17-3
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 16-17-3 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-17-3
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-17-3.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-17-3/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t16-ch12-17-(v14b)-2024-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=a591fa7b_0#page=805
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/16-17.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-17-2.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-17-4.md
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 / PAYDAY LENDING
---

# O.C.G.A. § 16-17-3. Collection of indebtedness barred; civil action permitted by borrowers.

Any person who violates subsection (a) or (b) of Code Section 16-17-2 shall be barred from the collection of any indebtedness created by said loan transaction and said transaction shall be void ab initio, and any person violating the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of Code Section 16-17-2 shall in addition be liable to the borrower in each unlawful transaction for three times the amount of any interest or other charges to the borrower. A civil action under Code Section 16-17-2 may be brought on behalf of an individual borrower or on behalf of an ascertainable class of borrowers. In a successful action to enforce the provisions of this chapter, a court shall award a borrower, or class of borrowers, costs including reasonable attorneys’ fees.

## History

Code 1981, § 16-17-3, enacted by Ga. L. 2004, p. 60, § 3.