---
title: O.C.G.A. § 37-3-7. Abandoning or leaving patients on grounds of psychiatric hospital.
collection: code
id: 37-3-7
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 37-3-7 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-7
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-7.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-7/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t37-t39-(v28)-2021-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=c6b9c518_0#page=145
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/37-3.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-6.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-8.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: MENTAL HEALTH / EXAMINATION, TREATMENT, ETC., FOR MENTAL ILLNESS / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 37-3-7. Abandoning or leaving patients on grounds of psychiatric hospital.

Any person who abandons or leaves any patient on the grounds of any state owned or state operated psychiatric hospital without the permission of the regional state hospital administrator of the hospital commits the offense of criminal trespass.

## History

Ga. L. 1918, p. 274, § 1; Code 1933, § 35-9901; Code 1933, § 88-2715, enacted by Ga. L. 1964, p. 499, § 1; Ga. L. 2002, p. 1324, § 1-18.

## Cross References

Penalty for criminal trespass, § 16-7-21.