---
title: O.C.G.A. § 21-2-586. Refusal by Secretary of State or his or her employee to permit public inspection of documents; removal, destruction, or alteration of documents.
collection: code
id: 21-2-586
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 21-2-586 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/21-2-586
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/21-2-586.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/21-2-586/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t21-(v18)-2023-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=868a5c43_0#page=629
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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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: ELECTIONS / ELECTIONS AND PRIMARIES GENERALLY / MISCELLANEOUS OFFENSES
---

# O.C.G.A. § 21-2-586. Refusal by Secretary of State or his or her employee to permit public inspection of documents; removal, destruction, or alteration of documents.

(a) If the Secretary of State or any employee of his or her office willfully refuses to permit the public inspection or copying, in accordance with this chapter, of any return, petition, certificate, paper, account, contract, report, or any other document or record in his or her custody, except when in use, or willfully removes any such document or record from his or her office during such period or permits the same to be removed, except pursuant to the direction of competent authority, the Secretary of State or employee of his or her office shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(b) If the Secretary of State or any employee of his or her office willfully destroys, alters, or permits to be destroyed or altered any document described in subsection (a) of this Code section during the period for which the same is required to be kept in his or her office, the Secretary of State or employee of his or her office shall be guilty of a felony.

## History

Code 1933, § 34-1903, enacted by Ga. L. 1964, Ex. Sess., p. 26, § 1; Ga. L. 1998, p. 295, § 1.

## Cross References

Requirement that Secretary of State open election records to inspection by public, § 21-2-51.

Opening of public records for inspection by public generally, § 50-18-70 et seq.