---
title: O.C.G.A. § 50-18-102. Records as public property; disposing of records other than by approved retention schedule as misdemeanor; person acting under article not liable.
collection: code
id: 50-18-102
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 50-18-102 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/50-18-102
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/50-18-102.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/50-18-102/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t50-ch13-40-(v38a)-2021-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=1209d23f_0#page=383
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/50-18.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/50-18-101.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: STATE GOVERNMENT / STATE PRINTING AND DOCUMENTS / STATE RECORDS MANAGEMENT
---

# O.C.G.A. § 50-18-102. Records as public property; disposing of records other than by approved retention schedule as misdemeanor; person acting under article not liable.

(a) All records created or received in the performance of duty and paid for by public funds are deemed to be public property and shall constitute a record of public acts.

(b) The destruction of records shall occur only through the operation of an approved retention schedule. The records shall not be placed in the custody of private individuals or institutions or semiprivate organizations unless authorized by retention schedules.

(c) The alienation, alteration, theft, or destruction of records by any person or persons in a manner not authorized by an applicable retention schedule is a misdemeanor.

(d) No person acting in compliance with this article shall be held personally liable.

## History

Ga. L. 1972, p. 1267, § 7; Ga. L. 1975, p. 675, § 7.