---
title: O.C.G.A. § 2-7-20. Declaration of quarantine; violation unlawful.
collection: code
id: 2-7-20
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 2-7-20 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/2-7-20
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/2-7-20.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/2-7-20/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t1-t2-t3-(v3)-2019-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=6ea3b7a1_0#page=263
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.
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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: AGRICULTURE / PLANT DISEASE, PEST CONTROL, AND PESTICIDES / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 2-7-20. Declaration of quarantine; violation unlawful.

(a) The Commissioner may declare a quarantine against any area, place, nursery, grove, orchard, county, or counties within this state, other states, or territories of the United States or any portion thereof or any foreign country, in reference to dangerous plant pests and may prohibit the movement within this state or any part thereof or the introduction into this state from other states or territories of the United States or any foreign country of all plants, plant products, or other things or substances from such quarantined places or areas as are likely to carry dangerous plant pests, if such quarantine is determined by the Commissioner, after due investigation, to be necessary in order to protect the agricultural, horticultural, or other interests of this state. In such cases the quarantine may be made absolute or rules and regulations may be adopted prescribing the method and manner under which the prohibited articles may be moved into or within, sold, or otherwise disposed of within or outside the state.

(b) Whenever the Commissioner declares a quarantine against any place, nursery, grove, orchard, county, or counties of the state or against other states or territories of the United States or any foreign country, as to a dangerous plant pest, it shall be unlawful thereafter until such quarantine is removed for any person to introduce into this state or to move, sell, or otherwise dispose of within this state any plant, plant produce, or other things included in such quarantine, except under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Commissioner.

## History

Ga. L. 1937, p. 659, §§ 4, 13; Ga. L. 1996, p. 329, § 13.

## Cross References

Power of director of State Forestry Commission to declare and fix boundaries of zones of infestation or infection upon determination of existence of infestation of forest insect pests or infection of forest tree diseases, § 12-6-16.