---
title: O.C.G.A. § 52-7-26. Penalty.
collection: code
id: 52-7-26
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 52-7-26 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/52-7-26
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/52-7-26.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/52-7-26/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t52-t53-(v40)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=5e4f6f40_0#page=25
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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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: WATERS OF THE STATE, PORTS, AND WATERCRAFT / REGISTRATION, OPERATION, AND SALE OF WATERCRAFT / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 52-7-26. Penalty.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this article, any person who violates this article or any rule or regulation promulgated hereunder shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. For purposes of establishing criminal violations of the rules and regulations promulgated by the board as provided in this article, the term “rules and regulations” means those rules and regulations of the board in force and effect on January 1, 2025.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (d) of Code Section 17-6-12, the release of a person on an unsecured judicial release as provided for in Code Section 17-6-12 for violations under Code Sections 52-7-12, 52-7-12.2, 52-7-12.3, and 52-7-12.4 shall be prohibited.

## History

Ga. L. 1960, p. 235, § 13; Ga. L. 1968, p. 487, § 12; Ga. L. 1973, p. 1427, § 25; Ga. L. 1983, p. 3, § 41; Ga. L. 1995, p. 236, § 3; Ga. L. 2012, p. 739, § 29/HB 869; Ga. L. 2013, p. 92, § 12/SB 136; Ga. L. 2014, p. 344, § 3/HB 783; Ga. L. 2014, p. 624, § 2/HB 777; Ga. L. 2020, p. 570, § 3-4/SB 402; Ga. L. 2021, p. 105, § 3-1/HB 362; Ga. L. 2022, p. 308, § 6/HB 1233; Ga. L. 2023, p. 64, § 4/SB 44, effective July 1, 2023; Ga. L. 2023, p. 348, § 3/HB 207, effective July 1, 2023; Ga. L. 2024, p. 429, § 10/HB 244, effective July 1, 2024; Ga. L. 2025, p. 524, § 7/HB 287, effective July 1, 2025.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2023, p. 64, § 5/SB 44, not codified by the General Assembly, provides, in part, that this Act shall apply to all offenses committed on or after July 1, 2023.

Ga. L. 2024, p. 429, § 11/HB 244, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that, for purposes of promulgating rules and regulations, the amendment to subsection (a) became effective April 25, 2024.

## Law Reviews

For article, “SB 174: Revising Georgia’s List of Bail Restricted Offenses,” see 38 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 41 (2021).

## Amendments

The 2022 amendment, effective July 1, 2022, substituted “January 1, 2022” for “January 1, 2021” at the end of subsection (a).

The first 2023 amendment, effective July 1, 2023, substituted “subsection (d)” for “subsection (c)” in subsection (b). See Editor’s note for applicability.

The second 2023 amendment, effective July 1, 2023, substituted “January 1, 2023” for “January 1, 2022” at the end of subsection (a).

The 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, substituted “January 1, 2024” for “January 1, 2023” at the end of subsection (a). See Editor’s notes for applicability.

The 2025 amendment, effective July 1, 2025, substituted “2025” for “2024” in subsection (a).