Georgia Code
Part 1 - General Provisions
§ 12-3-10. Directing Persons to Leave Parks, Historic Sites, or Recreational Areas Upon Their Refusal to Observe Rules and Regulations; Prohibited Acts Generally

History. Ga. L. 1976, p. 1160, § 2; Ga. L. 1977, p. 1175, § 1; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 12; Ga. L. 1984, p. 374, §§ 1-3; Ga. L. 1986, p. 437, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1007, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1547, § 1; Ga. L. 1995, p. 945, § 1; Ga. L. 1996, p. 6, § 12; Ga. L. 1998, p. 253, § 2; Ga. L. 1999, p. 81, § 12; Ga. L. 1999, p. 159, § 1; Ga. L. 2006, p. 96, § 1/HB 1490; Ga. L. 2010, p. 963, § 2-2/SB 308; Ga. L. 2012, p. 1074, § 1/SB 319; Ga. L. 2022, p. 74, § 3/SB 319.
The 2022 amendment, effective April 12, 2022, deleted former paragraph (o)(2); redesignated former paragraphs (o)(3) and (o)(4) as present paragraphs (o)(2) and (o)(3), respectively; and, in paragraph (o)(2), substituted “weapon or long gun unless such person is a lawful weapons carrier” for “handgun without a valid weapons carry license issued pursuant to Code Section 16-11-129” at the end of the first sentence, and added the second sentence.
Cross references.
Game and fish laws, generally, T. 27.
Prohibition against certain acts on public hunting or fishing or game management areas, § 27-1-33 .
Operation of watercraft in state generally, T. 52, C. 7.
Editor’s notes.
Ga. L. 1991, p. 1007, § 2, not codified by the General Assembly, provides as follows: “The General Assembly recognizes the imminent need for increased funding of maintenance and rehabilitation programs for the facilities and structures of state parks, historic sites, and recreational areas and natural areas. The General Assembly declares its intent to ensure that if the Board of Natural Resources establishes a parking permit requirement for parking at state parks, historic sites, and recreational areas and natural areas, funding provided by the sale of parking permits by the Department of Natural Resources will be used to implement programs of maintenance and rehabilitation of facilities and structures located in the state parks, historic sites, and recreational areas and natural areas. The General Assembly further declares its intent that such funding may be used to carry out all aspects of the programs of maintenance and rehabilitation including, but not limited to, the employment of personnel and the acquisition of equipment and supplies. No schedule of parking fees shall be effective until adopted under the same procedure as the adoption of rules under the Administrative Procedure Act.”
Ga. L. 1992, p. 1547, § 3, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “This Act shall become effective on July 1, 1992, and shall apply to violations of the provisions of Code Section 12-3-10 of the O.C.G.A. which take place on or after July 1, 1992.”
Ga. L. 2010, p. 963, § 3-1/SB 308, not codified by the General Assembly, provides, in part, that the amendment of this Code section shall apply to all offenses committed on and after June 4, 2010, and shall not affect any prosecutions for acts occurring before June 4, 2010, and shall not act as an abatement of any such prosecution.
Ga. L. 2022, p. 74, § 1/SB 319, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “This Act shall be known and may be cited as the ‘Chairman John Meadows Act.’”
Ga. L. 2022, p. 74, § 2/SB 319, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “The General Assembly finds and determines that:
“(1) The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution recognizes the right of the people to keep and bear arms and that such right shall not be infringed; and
“(2) The people of this state, to perpetuate the principles of free government, insure justice to all, preserve peace, promote the interest and happiness of the citizen and of the family, and transmit to posterity the enjoyment of liberty, provided that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed but that the General Assembly shall have power to prescribe the manner in which arms may be borne.”
Law reviews.
For article, “Crimes and Offenses,” see 27 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 131 (2011).
For article, “Proposed Constitutional Carry Act of 2019: To Amend Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Relating to the Use or Possession of Any Handgun in Parks, Historic Sites, or Recreational Areas; and to Amend Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Relating to the Definition of Carrying and Possession of Firearms & Executive Order by the Governor Temporarily Extending Renewal Requirements for Weapons Carry Licenses,” see 37 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 219 (2020).