---
title: O.C.G.A. § 18-4-9. Periodic summonses; original filing date limiting extension.
collection: code
id: 18-4-9
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 18-4-9 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/18-4-9
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/18-4-9.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/18-4-9/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t18-t19-(v16)-2022-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=b0848ebd_0#page=189
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/18-4.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/18-4-8.md
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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: DEBTOR AND CREDITOR / GARNISHMENT PROCEEDINGS / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 18-4-9. Periodic summonses; original filing date limiting extension.

(a) Summonses of garnishment may issue from time to time until the judgment is paid or the garnishment proceeding is otherwise terminated.

(b) Except in a continuing garnishment or continuing garnishment for support, no new summons of garnishment on the same affidavit of garnishment shall be issued after two years from the date of the original filing of such affidavit. After two years from such original filing date and provided that no unadjudicated claims, traverses, appeals, motions, or other pleadings remain before the court, the garnishment proceeding, other than a continuing garnishment or continuing garnishment for support, based on such affidavit shall automatically stand dismissed unless there are funds remaining in the registry of the court or a new summons of garnishment has been issued in the preceding 30 days. In the event funds remain in the registry at such time and the plaintiff has filed its certificate of compliance pursuant to subparagraph (b)(3)(A) of Code Section 18-4-8 and has made its application for disbursement, all such funds will be deemed abandoned by the defendant and disbursed to the plaintiff, notwithstanding any other provision of this Code section.

## History

Code 1981, § 18-4-9, enacted by Ga. L. 2016, p. 8, § 1/SB 255; Ga. L. 2018, p. 820, § 5/SB 194; Ga. L. 2020, p. 691, § 7/SB 443.

The 2020 amendment, effective January 1, 2021, rewrote subsection (b), which read: “No new summons of garnishment on the same affidavit of garnishment shall be issued after two years from the date of the original filing of such affidavit. After two years, the garnishment proceeding based on such affidavit shall automatically stand dismissed unless there are funds remaining in the registry of the court or a new summons of garnishment has been issued in the preceding 30 days.”