---
title: O.C.G.A. § 36-32-27. Training requirements.
collection: code
id: 36-32-27
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 36-32-27 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-32-27
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-32-27.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-32-27/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t35-t36-ch1-59-(v27)-2025-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=66569db4_0#page=605
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
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current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Session of the General Assembly of Georgia
heading_path: LOCAL GOVERNMENT / Provisions Applicable to Municipal Corporations Only / MUNICIPAL COURTS / GEORGIA MUNICIPAL COURTS TRAINING COUNCIL
---

# O.C.G.A. § 36-32-27. Training requirements.

(a) Any person who becomes a municipal judge on or after January 1, 1991, shall satisfactorily complete 20 hours of training in the performance of his or her duties within one year after the date of his or her election or appointment in order to become certified under this article. Any person serving as a municipal judge prior to January 1, 1991, shall be exempt from completing these 20 hours of training.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section, any person who becomes a judge of a court exercising municipal court jurisdiction on or after July 1, 2012, who is not subject to subsection (a) of this Code section, shall satisfactorily complete 20 hours of training in the performance of his or her duties within one year after the date of his or her election or appointment in order to become certified under this article. Any person serving as a judge of a court exercising municipal court jurisdiction prior to July 1, 2012, who is not subject to subsection (a) of this Code section, shall be exempt from completing these 20 hours of training.

(c) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section, in order to maintain the status of a certified municipal judge or a certified judge of a court exercising municipal court jurisdiction, he or she shall complete 12 hours of additional training per annum during each calendar year after the year of his or her initial certification in which he or she serves as municipal judge or as judge of a court exercising municipal court jurisdiction.

(d) This Code section shall not apply to any magistrate judge, probate judge, or any judge of a court of record who presides in a court exercising municipal court jurisdiction.

(e) If a municipal court judge completes training hours in excess of the number of hours required by this Code section in a calendar year, credit for such excess hours, not to exceed six hours, shall, upon the request of the municipal court judge, be carried over and applied to the number of hours required for the next calendar year.

## History

Code 1981, § 36-32-27, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 882, § 2; Ga. L. 2012, p. 1096, § 2/SB 351; Ga. L. 2019, p. 722, § 1/HB 92.