---
title: O.C.G.A. § 31-21-45. Public exhibit or display of dead human bodies of American Indians or American Indian human remains.
collection: code
id: 31-21-45
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 31-21-45 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-21-45
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-21-45.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-21-45/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=885
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/31-21-44.2.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-22-1.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. § 31-21-45. Public exhibit or display of dead human bodies of American Indians or American Indian human remains.

(a) After December 1, 1992, it shall be unlawful to exhibit or display to the public dead human bodies of American Indians or American Indian human remains except in connection with:

(1) Funeral or burial services;

(2) Education or instruction as part of a course of study at an accredited university, college, or school; or

(3) Educational exhibits or displays as may be allowed only with the express written permission of the lineal descendants of the deceased where such descendants can be identified or by the agent of the deceased’s estate or, where there is no lineal descendant or agent of the deceased’s estate, by the Council on American Indian Concerns created by Code Section 44-12-280.

(b) Any person who violates this Code section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than two years.

## History

Code 1981, § 31-21-45, enacted by Ga. L. 1992, p. 1790, § 4; Ga. L. 2000, p. 136, § 31.