Location Restrictions in Georgia (2024)

Georgia law generally prohibits people from carrying firearms in the following locations (including people who are otherwise generally authorized to carry firearms in public spaces):¹

• In a courthouse,² jail, or prison
• In a place of worship, unless the governing body or authority of the place of worship permits the carrying of firearms by “lawful weapons carriers” who are authorized to carry firearms in most public spaces³
• Within 150 feet of any active polling place, except for security personnel
• In a state mental health facility that admits individuals on an involuntary basis for treatment of mental illness, developmental disability; or addictive disease
• On the premises of a nuclear power facility
• In the restricted access area of a commercial service airport, in or beyond the airport security screening checkpoint.⁴
• On K-12 school property or buildings, at K-12 school functions and activities, and on K-12 school buses and other school-furnished transportation vehicles.⁵ (See the Georgia Guns in Schools page for more information).

These location restrictions generally do not apply to a firearm possessed by a lawful weapons carrier if the firearm is under the license holder’s control in a motor vehicle or is in a locked compartment, container, or firearms rack in or on a motor vehicle parked in a parking facility.⁶

People who are not “lawful weapons carriers”⁷ are also generally prohibited from carrying firearms in parks, historic sites, recreational areas,⁸ in government buildings,⁹ and on the campuses of higher education institutions.¹⁰

Conversely, however, lawful weapons carriers may generally carry handguns in parks, historic sites, and recreational areas, including all publicly owned buildings and public transportation in these areas, provided that they do not carry a handgun into any place where it is prohibited by federal law.¹¹ Lawful weapons carriers may also generally carry a handgun in a government building if the building is open for business and “where ingress into such building is not restricted or screened by security personnel.”¹² Subject to important limitations, lawful weapons carriers may also generally carry concealed handguns on campuses of higher education institutions. (See the Georgia Guns in Schools page for more information about Georgia’s campus carry laws).

In 2010, Georgia passed legislation to repeal several stronger location restrictions, including a provision that had previously prohibited weapons carry license holders from consuming alcoholic beverages in a restaurant or other eating establishment while carrying firearms, and a provision prohibiting the carrying of firearms at “public gatherings” defined to include athletic and sporting events and political rallies and functions. In 2014, Georgia enacted a law generally repealing restrictions on carrying firearms in bars.¹³

Private property owners and persons in legal control of property through a lease, rental agreement, licensing agreement, contract or other agreement to control access to property generally have the right to forbid possession of a firearm on their property.¹⁴

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1. Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-127(b).[↩]
2. Courthouse is defined to mean “a building occupied by judicial courts and containing rooms in which judicial proceedings are held. Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-127(a)(1).[↩]
3. A person is a lawful weapons carrier if (1) they would be eligible for a weapons carry license under Georgia law (whether or not they have a license) and are not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing a handgun or long gun, (2) if they are a resident of any other state who would otherwise be eligible to obtain a weapons carry license under Georgia law but for the residency requirement, or (3) if they are licensed to carry a weapon in any other state. Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-125.1(2.1).[↩]
4. Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-130.2.[↩]
5. Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-127.1.[↩]
6. Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-127(d)(3).[↩]
7. A person is a lawful weapons carrier if (1) they would be eligible for a weapons carry license under Georgia law (whether or not they have a license) and are not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing a handgun or long gun, (2) if they are a resident of any other state who would otherwise be eligible to obtain a weapons carry license under Georgia law but for the residency requirement, or (3) if they are licensed to carry a weapon in any other state. Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-125.1(2.1).[↩]
8. Ga. Code Ann. § 12-3-10(o)(2); 16-11-126(f).[↩]
9. Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-127(b)(1); see also, Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-127(1)(2) (defining “government building to mean: (A) The building in which a government entity is housed; (B) The building where a government entity meets in its official capacity; provided, however, that if such building is not a publicly owned building, such building shall be considered a government building for the purposes of this Code section only during the time such government entity is meeting at such building; or (C) The portion of any building that is not a publicly owned building that is occupied by a government entity, as defined).[↩]
10. Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-127.1.[↩]
11. See Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-126(f).[↩]
12. Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-127(e)(1).[↩]
13. See 2013 Ga. H.B. 60, amending Ga. Code Ann. §§ 16-11-127(6) and 16-11-130.2.[↩]
14. Ga. Code Ann. § 16-11-127(c).[↩]