--- title: Ga. Const. Art. V, Sec. I, Para. IV. Qualifications of Governor and Lieutenant Governor. collection: code id: ga-const:art-v-sec-i-para-iv cite_as: Ga. Const. Art. V, Sec. I, Para. IV canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-i-para-iv md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-i-para-iv.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-i-para-iv/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/2ga-const-(v2)-2016-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=f5de823e_0#page=966 date: 2016 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/constitution/ga/index.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-i-para-iii.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-i-para-v.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: CONSTITUTION OF THE / EXECUTIVE BRANCH / ELECTION OF GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR --- # Ga. Const. Art. V, Sec. I, Para. IV. Qualifications of Governor and Lieutenant Governor. A constitution provision shown as in force is in force as printed in the volume. A court decision can make a printed provision unenforceable without changing the volume, and the volume does not record that. No person shall be eligible for election to the office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor unless such person shall have been a citizen of the United States 15 years and a legal resident of the state six years immediately preceding the election and shall have attained the age of 30 years by the date of assuming office. ## Cross References Other disabilities to holding office, Ga. Const. 1983, Art. II, Sec. II, Para. III, Ga. Const. 1983, Art. III, Sec. II, Para. IV, and §§ 16-10-9, 21-2-7, 21-2-8, 45-2-1 et seq., and 45-5-2. Eligibility for single elective office only, § 21-2-136. ## 1976 Constitution. Art. V, Sec. I, Para. VII. ## Maturity Requirement Not a Violation of Equal Protection Clause. In light of the fact that the Lieutenant Governor may be called upon to exercise the powers of the office of Governor, a similar maturity requirement for the Lieutenant Governor is eminently reasonable, and the mere fact that other state officers, such as the Attorney General, may serve upon reaching 25, does not render the instant age requirement a violation of the equal protection clause (U.S. Const., amend. 14). Traylor v. Democratic Party, 241 Ga. 429, 246 S.E.2d 192 (1978). ## Maturity Requirement Not a Violation of Right of Association. The fact that a candidate under 30 may not run for Lieutenant Governor does not deny the first amendment right of association to those voters who might wish to ‘‘associate’’ with such a candidate by voting for that candidate. Traylor v. Democratic Party, 241 Ga. 429, 246 S.E.2d 192 (1978). Function of Lieutenant Governor in event of vacancy in office of Gover- ## Nor. The Lieutenant Governor does not succeed to the office of Governor in the event of a vacancy, rather the executive power devolves upon the Lieutenant Governor so that the government can continue to function until a Governor is chosen by the people as provided by law. Henderson v. Maddox, 227 Ga. 195, 179 S.E.2d 770 (1971). ## Am. Jur. 2d. 38 Am. Jur. 2d, Governor, § 2. ## Alr. Time as of which eligibility or ineligibility to office is to be determined, 88 ALR 812; 143 ALR 1026. Nonregistration as affecting one’s qualification to hold public office, 128 ALR 1117. Validity of requirement that candidate or public officer have been resident of governmental unit for specified period, 65 ALR3d 1048. Validity of age requirement for state public office, 90 ALR3d 900.