---
title: O.C.G.A. § 50-2-23. Exclusive jurisdiction ceded over lands acquired by United States; exceptions.
collection: code
id: 50-2-23
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 50-2-23 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/50-2-23
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/50-2-23.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/50-2-23/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=467
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/50-2.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/50-2-22.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/50-2-23.1.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: STATE GOVERNMENT / BOUNDARIES AND JURISDICTION OF THE STATE / JURISDICTION
---

# O.C.G.A. § 50-2-23. Exclusive jurisdiction ceded over lands acquired by United States; exceptions.

Exclusive jurisdiction in and over any lands acquired by the United States as provided in Code Section 50-2-22 is ceded to the United States for all purposes except service upon such lands of all civil and criminal process of the courts of this state; but the jurisdiction so ceded shall continue no longer than the United States shall own such lands. The state retains its civil and criminal jurisdiction over persons and citizens in the ceded territory, as over other persons and citizens in this state, except as to any ceded territory owned by the United States and used by the Department of Defense and except as to any ceded territory owned by the United States and used by the Department of Justice for penal institutions, custodial institutions, or correctional institutions, but the state retains jurisdiction over the taxation of private property and the regulation of public utility services in any ceded territory. Nothing in this Code section shall interfere with the jurisdiction of the United States over any matter or subjects set out in the acts of Congress donating money for the erection of public buildings for the transaction of its business in this state or with any laws, rules, or regulations that Congress may adopt for the preservation and protection of its property and rights in the ceded territory and the proper maintenance of good order therein.

## History

Ga. L. 1890-91, p. 201, § 1; Civil Code 1895, § 25; Civil Code 1910, § 26; Ga. L. 1927, p. 352, § 2; Code 1933, § 15-302; Ga. L. 1952, p. 264, § 1; Ga. L. 1963, p. 555, § 1.