---
title: O.C.G.A. § 40-6-181. Maximum limits.
collection: code
id: 40-6-181
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 40-6-181 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-6-181
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-6-181.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-6-181/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t40-ch6-16-(v29)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=f322c22b_0#page=30
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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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: MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC / UNIFORM RULES OF THE ROAD / SPEED RESTRICTIONS
extraction_warnings:
  - dehyphenation_unverified:investi-gations
---

# O.C.G.A. § 40-6-181. Maximum limits.

(a) The limits specified in this Code section or established as authorized in this article shall be the maximum lawful vehicle speeds, except when a special hazard exists that requires a lower speed for compliance with Code Section 40-6-180.

(b) Consistent with the provision of engineering and traffic investigations regarding maximum speed limits as provided in Code Section 40-6-182, no person shall drive a vehicle at a speed in excess of the following maximum limits:

(1) Thirty miles per hour in any urban or residential district unless otherwise designated by appropriate signs;

(2) Thirty-five miles per hour on a highway that is an unpaved county road unless designated otherwise by appropriate signs;

(3) Seventy miles per hour on a highway that is part of the federal interstate system and highways that are physically divided with full control of access and that are part of the state highway system, provided that such speed limit is designated by appropriate signs;

(4) Sixty-five miles per hour on highways that are physically divided without full control of access and that are part of the state highway system, provided that such speed limit is designated by appropriate signs; and

(5) Fifty-five miles per hour in other locations.

(c) The maximum speed limits set forth in this Code section may be altered as authorized in Code Sections 40-6-182, 40-6-183, and 40-6-188.

## History

Ga. L. 1953, Nov.-Dec. Sess., p. 556, § 48; Ga. L. 1963, p. 26, § 1; Ga. L. 1974, p. 11, § 1; Code 1933, § 68A-802, enacted by Ga. L. 1975, p. 1582, § 1; Ga. L. 1982, p. 1290, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1983, p. 3, § 29; Ga. L. 1984, p. 22, § 40; Ga. L. 1988, p. 30, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 2048, § 5; Ga. L. 1995, p. 759, § 1.1; Ga. L. 1996, p. 469, § 1.1; Ga. L. 2014, p. 851, § 8/HB 774; Ga. L. 2021, p. 526, § 10/HB 577; Ga. L. 2024, p. 752, § 5/HB 516, effective July 1, 2024.

## Amendments

The 2021 amendment, effective July 1, 2021, added “unless otherwise designated by appropriate signs” at the end of paragraph (b)(1).

The 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, redesignated former paragraphs (b)(1.1) and (b)(2) as present paragraphs (b)(2) and (b)(3), respectively; deleted former paragraph (b)(3), which read: “Seventy miles per hour on a highway on the federal interstate system which is inside of an urbanized area of 50,000 population or more, provided that such speed limit is designated by appropriate signs;”; inserted “a highway that is” in paragraph (b)(2); in paragraph (b)(3), substituted “highway that is part of” for “highway on” and “highways that are physically divided with full control of access and that are part of the state highway system” for “on physically divided highways with full control of access which are outside of an urbanized area of 50,000 population or more”; and substituted “highways that are physically divided without full control of access and that are part of” for “those sections of physically divided highways without full access control on” in paragraph (b)(4).