---
title: O.C.G.A. § 24-1-104. Preliminary questions.
collection: code
id: 24-1-104
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 24-1-104 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/24-1-104
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/24-1-104.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/24-1-104/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t24-ch1-7-(v20)-2023-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=27d520aa_0#page=41
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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current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: EVIDENCE / GENERAL PROVISIONS / GENERAL EVIDENTIARY MATTERS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 24-1-104. Preliminary questions.

(a) Preliminary questions concerning the qualification of a person to be a witness, the existence of a privilege, or the admissibility of evidence shall be determined by the court, subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this Code section. In making its determination, the court shall not be bound by the rules of evidence except those with respect to privileges. Preliminary questions shall be resolved by a preponderance of the evidence standard.

(b) When the relevancy of evidence depends upon the fulfillment of a condition of fact, the court shall admit it upon, or subject to, the introduction of evidence sufficient to support a finding of the fulfillment of the condition.

(c) Hearings on the admissibility of confessions shall in all cases be conducted out of the hearing of the jury. Hearings on other preliminary matters shall be conducted out of the hearing of the jury when the interests of justice require or when an accused is a witness and requests a hearing outside the presence of the jury.

(d) The accused shall not, by testifying upon a preliminary matter, become subject to cross-examination as to other issues in the proceeding.

(e) This Code section shall not limit the right of a party to introduce before the jury evidence relevant to weight or credibility.

## History

Code 1981, § 24-1-104, enacted by Ga. L. 2011, p. 99, § 2/HB 24.

## Cross References

Preliminary questions, Fed. R. Evid. 104.

## Law Reviews

For article, “Dancing with the Big Boys: Georgia Adopts (most of) the Federal Rules of Evidence,” see 63 Mercer L. Rev. 1 (2011).

For annual survey on evidence, see 65 Mercer L. Rev. 125 (2013).

For annual survey of evidence law, see 67 Mercer L. Rev. 63 (2015).