---
title: O.C.G.A. § 29-11-12. Requirements for jurisdiction.
collection: code
id: 29-11-12
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 29-11-12 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/29-11-12
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/29-11-12.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/29-11-12/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t27-t30-(v22)-2018-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=f493d811_0#page=769
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: GUARDIAN AND WARD / UNIFORM ADULT GUARDIANSHIP AND CONSERVATORSHIP PROCEEDINGS JURISDICTION ACT / JURISDICTION
---

# O.C.G.A. § 29-11-12. Requirements for jurisdiction.

A court of this state has jurisdiction to appoint a guardian or issue a conservatorship order for a respondent if:

(1) This state is the respondent’s home state;

(2) On the date the petition is filed, this state is a significant-connection state and:

(A) The respondent does not have a home state or a court of the respondent’s home state has declined to exercise jurisdiction because this state is a more appropriate forum; or

(B) The respondent has a home state, a petition for an appointment or order is not pending in a court of that state or another significant-connection state, and, before the court makes the appointment or issues the order:

(i) A petition for an appointment or order is not filed in the respondent’s home state;

(ii) An objection to the court’s jurisdiction is not filed by a person required to be notified of the proceeding; and

(iii) The court in this state concludes that it is an appropriate forum under the factors set forth in Code Section 29-11-15;

(3) This state does not have jurisdiction under either paragraph (1) or (2) of this Code section, the respondent’s home state and all significant-connection states have declined to exercise jurisdiction because this state is the more appropriate forum, and jurisdiction in this state is consistent with the Constitutions of this state and the United States; or

(4) The requirements for special jurisdiction under Code Section 29-11-13 are met.

## History

Code 1981, § 29-11-12, enacted by Ga. L. 2016, p. 563, § 1/HB 954.