---
title: O.C.G.A. § 49-4A-18. Prohibited possession of certain goods by youth; penalty.
collection: code
id: 49-4A-18
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 49-4A-18 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/49-4A-18
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/49-4A-18.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/49-4A-18/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t49-t50-ch1-12-(v38)-2023-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=60c992b5_0#page=222
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: SOCIAL SERVICES / DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE
---

# O.C.G.A. § 49-4A-18. Prohibited possession of certain goods by youth; penalty.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term:

(1) “Director” means the commissioner or any director of a juvenile detention center or his or her designee, or any other person who is responsible for the overall management and operation of a center.

(2) “Juvenile detention center” means a regional youth detention center or youth development center operated by or on behalf of the department.

(3) “Telecommunications device” means a device, an apparatus associated with a device, or a component of a device that enables, or may be used to enable, communication with a person outside a place of incarceration, including, but not limited to, a telephone, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, transmitting radio, or computer connected or capable of being connected to a computer network, by wireless or other technology, or otherwise capable of communicating with a person or device outside of a place of incarceration.

(4) “Youth” means an offender assigned to a juvenile detention center.

(b) Without the authorization of the director, it shall be unlawful for any person to obtain for, to procure for, or to give to a youth a gun, pistol, knife, or any other weapon; a bullet, ammunition, or any other explosive device; tobacco products; intoxicating liquor; marijuana, amphetamines, or any other hallucinogenic drugs or other drugs, regardless of the amount; any telecommunications device; or any other article or item.

(c) Without the authorization of the director, it shall be unlawful for a youth to possess a gun, pistol, knife, or any other weapon; a bullet, ammunition, or any other explosive device; tobacco products; intoxicating liquor; marijuana, amphetamines, or any other hallucinogenic drugs or other drugs, regardless of the amount; any telecommunications device; or any other article or item.

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

## History

Code 1981, § 49-4A-18, enacted by Ga. L. 2012, p. 1339, § 2/SB 366.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2012, p. 1339, § 3/SB 366, not codified by the General Assembly, provides, in part, that this Code section shall apply to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2012.