---
title: O.C.G.A. § 16-17-4. Liability for civil penalty to state; distribution of proceeds.
collection: code
id: 16-17-4
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 16-17-4 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-17-4
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-17-4.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-17-4/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/16-17-3.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-17-5.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. § 16-17-4. Liability for civil penalty to state; distribution of proceeds.

(a) Any person who violates subsection (a) or (b) of Code Section 16-17-2 shall be liable to the state for a civil penalty equal to three times the amount of any interest or charges to the borrowers in the unlawful transactions.

(b) A civil action under Code Section 16-17-2 may be brought by the Attorney General, any district attorney, or a private party. Where a successful civil action is brought by a district attorney, one-half of the damages recovered on behalf of the state shall be distributed to the office of the district attorney of the judicial circuit of such district attorney to be used by the district attorney in order to fund the budget of that office.

## History

Code 1981, § 16-17-4, enacted by Ga. L. 2004, p. 60, § 3; Ga. L. 2005, p. 60, § 16/HB 95.