---
title: O.C.G.A. § 43-28-16. Penalty.
collection: code
id: 43-28-16
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 43-28-16 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-28-16
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-28-16.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-28-16/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t43-ch1-32-(v30)-2022-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=921d056f_0#page=893
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/43-28.md
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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: PROFESSIONS AND BUSINESSES / OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS / GEORGIA OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PRACTICE
---

# O.C.G.A. § 43-28-16. Penalty.

(a) Any person who violates this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $250.00 and not more than $1,000.00, or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, or both. A license held by any person convicted under this Code section shall be forfeited and revoked upon the board receiving notice of such conviction.

(b) It is unlawful for any person who is not registered under this article as an occupational therapist or as an occupational therapy assistant or whose registration has been suspended or revoked to use, in connection with his or her name or place of business, the words “occupational therapist,” “licensed occupational therapist,” “occupational therapy assistant,” “licensed occupational therapy assistant,” or the letters “O.T.,” “O.T.R.,” “O.T.R./L., “O.T./L.,” “O.T.A.,” “L.O.T.A.,” “C.O.T.A./L.,” or “C.O.T.A.”; or any other words, letters, abbreviations, or insignia indicating or implying that he or she is an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant or to show in any way, orally, in writing, in print, or by sign, directly or by implication, or to represent himself or herself as an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant.

## History

Ga. L. 1976, p. 993, § 19; Ga. L. 2019, p. 745, § 1/HB 253; Ga. L. 2021, p. 710, § 4/HB 268.

The 2021 amendment, effective July 1, 2021, substituted “this article” for “this chapter” near the beginning of subsections (a) and (b).

## Cross References

False or fraudulent advertising, § 10-1-420 et seq.