---
title: O.C.G.A. § 7-1-651. Membership; shares.
collection: code
id: 7-1-651
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 7-1-651 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/7-1-651
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/7-1-651.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/7-1-651/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t7-t8-(v5)-2024-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=6386add7_0#page=366
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/7-1.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: BANKING AND FINANCE / FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS / CREDIT UNIONS / OPERATION AND REGULATION
---

# O.C.G.A. § 7-1-651. Membership; shares.

(a) The membership of the credit union shall consist of the initial subscribers and such other persons within the field of membership as may have subscribed to one share, which has been paid by a person or the credit union, together with the required entrance fee and complied with all other requirements contained in the bylaws. No subscriber or other member shall hold more than one share out of any class of shares. The bylaws may provide for separate classes of shares for borrowers and depositors and for the par value of each share for each class, but in no event shall the par value be less than $1.00.

(b) Societies, associations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations composed of persons who are eligible for membership or headquartered within the field of membership may be admitted to membership in the same manner and under the same conditions as such persons.

(c) A person or corporation who leaves the field of membership may be permitted to retain his membership in the credit union at the discretion of the board of directors.

(d) Customers of a bank that have been acquired by a credit union as a result of a merger or purchase and where the bank will cease to exist, due to a voluntary or involuntary dissolution, shall become members of the credit union upon the effective date of the underlying transaction; provided, however, that nothing herein shall be deemed as permitting a public body to be a member of a credit union. As used in this subsection, the term “public body” shall have the same meaning as provided in Code Section 45-8-1.

## History

Ga. L. 1925, p. 165, §§ 1, 9; Code 1933, §§ 25-101, 25-108; Code 1933, § 41A3102, enacted by Ga. L. 1974, p. 705, § 1; Ga. L. 1985, p. 823, § 1; Ga. L. 2009, p. 86, § 7/HB 141; Ga. L. 2015, p. 344, § 20/HB 184; Ga. L. 2017, p. 193, § 18/HB 143; Ga. L. 2019, p. 828, § 21/HB 185; Ga. L. 2024, p. 354, § 1-13/HB 876, effective July 1, 2024.

## Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, inserted “limited liability companies,” in subsection (b).