---
title: O.C.G.A. § 31-20-2. Performance of sterilization procedure upon request.
collection: code
id: 31-20-2
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 31-20-2 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-20-2
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-20-2.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-20-2/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t31-(v23)-2025-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=da7ded69_0#page=853
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/31-20.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-20-1.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-20-3.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Session of the General Assembly of Georgia
heading_path: HEALTH / PERFORMANCE OF STERILIZATION PROCEDURES
---

# O.C.G.A. § 31-20-2. Performance of sterilization procedure upon request.

It shall be lawful for any physician to perform a sterilization procedure upon a person 18 years of age or over, or less than 18 years of age if legally married, provided that a request in writing is made by such person and provided, further, that, prior to or at the time of such request, a full and reasonable medical explanation is given by such physician to such person as to the meaning and consequence of such operation.

## History

Ga. L. 1966, p. 453, § 2; Ga. L. 1970, p. 683, § 2; Ga. L. 1990, p. 325, § 1; Ga. L. 2025, p. 1029, § 31(52)/SB 153, effective July 1, 2025.

## Law Reviews

For note on 1990 amendment of this Code section, see 7 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 309 (1990).

## Amendments

The 2025 amendment, effective July 1, 2025, part of an Act to revise, modernize, and correct the Code, substituted “that, prior to or at the time of such request,” for “that prior to or at the time of such request” in the middle of this Code section.