---
title: O.C.G.A. § 17-6-70. When forfeiture occurs.
collection: code
id: 17-6-70
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 17-6-70 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-6-70
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-6-70.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-6-70/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t17-(v15)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=6c4dfdf8_0#page=64
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/17-6.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-6-58.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-6-70.1.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: CRIMINAL PROCEDURE / BONDS AND RECOGNIZANCES / PROCEEDINGS FOR FORFEITURE OF BONDS OR RECOGNIZANCES
---

# O.C.G.A. § 17-6-70. When forfeiture occurs.

(a) A bond forfeiture occurs at the end of the court day upon the failure of appearance of a principal of any bond or recognizance given for the appearance of that person.

(b) An appearance bond shall not be forfeited unless the clerk of the court gave the surety at least 72 hours’ written notice, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, before the time of the required appearance of the principal. Notice shall not be necessary if the time for appearance is within 72 hours from the time of arrest, provided the time for appearance is stated on the bond.

## History

Laws 1831, Cobb’s 1851 Digest, p. 861.; Code 1863, § 4584; Code 1868, § 4605; Code 1873, § 4702; Ga. L. 1878-79, p. 57, § 1; Code 1882, § 4702; Penal Code 1895, § 936; Penal Code 1910, § 961; Code 1933, § 27-905; Ga. L. 1966, p. 430, § 1; Code 1981, § 17-6-70; Ga. L. 1982, p. 1224, § 2; Ga. L. 1986, p. 1588, § 2; Ga. L. 1987, p. 1342, § 2; Ga. L. 1990, p. 8, § 17; Ga. L. 1992, p. 6, § 17; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2933, § 2; Ga. L. 2024, p. 505, § 8/SB 63, effective July 1, 2024.

## Law Reviews

For article on the 2024 amendment of this Code section, see 41 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 129 (2024).

## Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, deleted “, or where the principal is given actual notice in open court” following “bond” at the end of subsection (b).