---
title: O.C.G.A. § 16-3-22. Immunity from criminal liability of persons rendering assistance to law enforcement officers.
collection: code
id: 16-3-22
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 16-3-22 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-3-22
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-3-22.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-3-22/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t16-ch1-6-(v14)-2019-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=af47a366_0#page=311
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/16-3.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-3-21.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-3-22.1.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 / DEFENSES TO CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS / JUSTIFICATION AND EXCUSE
---

# O.C.G.A. § 16-3-22. Immunity from criminal liability of persons rendering assistance to law enforcement officers.

(a) Any person who renders assistance reasonably and in good faith to any law enforcement officer who is being hindered in the performance of his official duties or whose life is being endangered by the conduct of any other person or persons while performing his official duties shall be immune to the same extent as the law enforcement officer from any criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed as a result of rendering assistance to the law enforcement officer.

(b) The official report of the law enforcement agency shall create a rebuttable presumption of good faith and reasonableness on the part of the person who assists the law enforcement officer.

(c) The purpose of this Code section is to provide for those persons who act in good faith to assist law enforcement officers whose health and safety is being adversely affected and threatened by the conduct of any other person or persons. This Code section shall be liberally construed so as to carry out the purposes thereof.

## History

Code 1933, § 27-219, enacted by Ga. L. 1967, p. 745, §§ 1, 2.

## Cross References

Exercise of power of arrest by private persons generally, § 17-4-60 et seq.