---
title: O.C.G.A. § 27-1-18. Powers of game wardens generally.
collection: code
id: 27-1-18
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 27-1-18 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/27-1-18
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/27-1-18.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/27-1-18/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t27-t30-(v22)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=3d92bb7f_0#page=23
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/27-1.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: GAME AND FISH / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 27-1-18. Powers of game wardens generally.

(a) Game wardens shall have the power and authority:

(1) To enforce all state laws on all property owned or controlled by the department;

(2) To enforce all state laws pertaining to functions assigned to the department;

(3) To enforce any state law when the violation of that law is committed in conjunction with a violation of a state law pertaining to functions assigned to the department;

(4) To enforce any state law when ordered to do so by the Governor or to protect any life or property when the circumstances demand action; and

(5) At the expense of the department, to assist the Department of Public Safety and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in carrying out their duties and responsibilities when requested to do so by the Department of Public Safety or the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

(b) The commissioner may, and in the case of a request by the Governor shall, authorize and direct the department’s game wardens to cooperate with and render assistance to any law enforcement agency of this state or any municipality, county, or other political subdivision thereof in any criminal case, in the prevention or detection of violations of any law, or in the apprehension or arrest of persons who violate the criminal laws of this state, any other state, or the United States, upon a request by the governing authority or chief law enforcement officer of any municipality, the sheriff of any county, a judge of the superior court of any county, or the Governor.

## History

Ga. L. 1973, p. 1483, § 3; Code 1933, § 45-118, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 396, § 1; Ga. L. 1978, p. 816, § 11; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 27; Ga. L. 1990, p. 376, § 1; Ga. L. 2019, p. 808, § 7/SB 72.

## Amendments

The 2019 amendment, effective July 1, 2019, substituted “Game wardens” for “Conservation rangers” in the beginning of subsection (a) and substituted “game wardens” for “conservation rangers” in subsection (b).