---
title: O.C.G.A. § 31-21-44.2. Abandonment of a dead body.
collection: code
id: 31-21-44.2
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 31-21-44.2 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-21-44.2
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-21-44.2.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-21-44.2/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=884
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/31-21.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-21-44.1.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-21-45.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 / DEAD BODIES / OFFENSES
---

# O.C.G.A. § 31-21-44.2. Abandonment of a dead body.

(a)(1) Any person who throws away or abandons any dead human body or portion of such dead body shall commit the offense of abandonment of a dead body.

(2) It shall not be an offense under this subsection to make final disposition of a dead human body or portion of such dead human body under a death certificate issued under Chapter 10 of this title or the law of another jurisdiction by interment, entombment, inurnment, scattering of cremated remains or organically reduced remains, burial at sea, or any means otherwise authorized by law; nor shall it be an offense under this subsection for any law enforcement personnel, medical or medical laboratory personnel, hospital personnel, coroner or medical examiner, funeral director, embalmer, organic human reduction facility operator, crematory operator, or cemetery operator to perform those duties or acts relating to possession or disposition of a dead human body or portion of such dead human body which are otherwise imposed or authorized by law or lawful contract; nor shall use of a dead human body or portion of such dead human body at or by an accredited medical school, dental school, college, or university for education, research, or advancement of medical or dental science or therapy be an offense under this subsection.

(b) Any person who commits an offense of abandonment of a dead body as provided by subsection (a) of this Code section shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than three years.

## History

Code 1981, § 31-21-44.2, enacted by Ga. L. 2002, p. 641, § 1; Ga. L. 2025, p. 269, § 2-7/SB 241, effective July 1, 2025.

## Amendments

The 2025 amendment, effective July 1, 2025, in paragraph (a)(2), inserted “human” following “dead” three times, inserted “or organically reduced remains”, and inserted “organic human reduction facility operator,”.