---
title: O.C.G.A. § 16-7-44. Prima-facie evidence; rebuttable presumption.
collection: code
id: 16-7-44
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 16-7-44 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-7-44
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-7-44.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-7-44/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t16-ch7-11-(v14a)-2018-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=aecbfe9c_0#page=119
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/16-7.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-7-43.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/16-7-45.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 / DAMAGE TO AND INTRUSION UPON PROPERTY / CRIMINAL TRESPASS AND DAMAGE TO PROPERTY / LITTERING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY
---

# O.C.G.A. § 16-7-44. Prima-facie evidence; rebuttable presumption.

(a) Whenever litter is thrown, deposited, dropped, or dumped from any motor vehicle, boat, airplane, or other conveyance in violation of Code Section 16-7-43, the trier of fact may in its discretion and in consideration of the totality of the circumstances infer that the operator of the conveyance has violated this part.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (a) of this Code section, whenever any litter which is dumped, deposited, thrown, or left on public or private property in violation of Code Section 16-7-43 is discovered to contain any article or articles, including but not limited to letters, bills, publications, or other writings which display the name of a person thereon in such a manner as to indicate that the article belongs or belonged to such person, the trier of fact may in its discretion and in consideration of the totality of the circumstances infer that such person has violated this part.

## History

Ga. L. 1970, p. 494, § 6; Ga. L. 1984, p. 1489, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 8, § 16; Ga. L. 2006, p. 275, § 2-1/HB 1320.

## Cross References

Littering highways, § 40-6-249.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2006, p. 275, § 1-1/HB 1320, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: ‘‘This Act shall be known and may be cited as the ‘Comprehensive Litter Prevention and Abatement Act of 2006.’’’

Ga. L. 2006, p. 275, § 5-1/HB 1320, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that the Act shall become effective April 21, 2006, for purposes of adopting local ordinances to become effective on or after July 1, 2006.