The Exposure

Some New Georgia Laws That Took Effect July 1

Thought this was worth sharing. As always, don’t take social media’s word for it. If one of these affects you, take a few minutes to read the actual law for yourself.

(We've made corrections to the list)

🚨 New Georgia Laws 🚨

1. Rental applications: If you pay an application fee and are denied, you may be entitled to a refund under certain circumstances. Landlords are also limited on the amount they can collect up front. (OCGA 44-7-30.1) ❌: Misleading. Georgia law does not require a landlord to refund an application fee simply because an applicant is denied. The law being referenced, OCGA § 44-7-30.1, limits security deposits for covered residential leases to no more than two months' rent, but it does not create a general right to a refund of application fees. A refund would only be required if the lease, landlord's policies, or other legal circumstances specifically require one.

2. To-go cocktails: Restaurants can now sell alcoholic drinks to go if they meet the legal requirements. (SB 236) 🕰️ Cocktails to go: True, but not new. Georgia legalized cocktails to go under SB 236 in 2021. Licensed restaurants may sell limited mixed drinks in approved sealed containers with qualifying food purchases.

3. Child tax credits: New tax credits are available for qualifying families with young children and child care expenses. (HB 136)

4. School bus cameras: More Georgia school buses will now be equipped with cameras to help enforce stop-arm violations. (HB 344)⚠️: Misleading. Some Georgia school districts are expanding the use of stop-arm cameras to enforce illegal passing of school buses. However, HB 344 did not become law, and Georgia does not require more school buses statewide to be equipped with cameras.

5. Bounce house safety: Inflatable amusement devices cannot be operated when sustained winds exceed 15 mph. (120-3-27) ❌: False. Georgia does not have a universal 15-mph wind limit for all bounce houses or inflatables. Covered amusement rides must follow the manufacturer's maximum wind recommendations, and many inflatable bounce houses are exempt from Georgia's amusement-ride regulations altogether.

6. Daycare background checks: Stronger fingerprinting and background check requirements for childcare workers, including checks for registered child abusers and s*x offenders. (HB 175)

7. Disabled veterans: Eligible disabled veterans can now receive two additional free license plates. (HB 208)

8. Storage units: Storage facilities must provide additional notice before auctioning off your property. (HB 131)❌: Backward. HB 131 actually removed the old requirement that storage facilities advertise an auction once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper. Instead, the law now allows commercially reasonable advertising, such as online listings or other appropriate methods permitted by law. It reduced the advertising requirement rather than adding one.

9. Fentanyl trafficking: Increased penalties for fentanyl trafficking convictions. (SB 79)

10. Education funding: Additional funding for Georgia’s public schools. (HB 371) ⚠️ Extra $75 million for schools: Misleading. The law increased the annual limit for certain school construction and capital funding from $300 million to $375 million.

11. Green burials: Funeral homes may now offer natural organic reduction as a legal disposition option. (SB 241)

12. Income tax: Georgia’s flat income tax rate has been reduced to 4.99%. (HB 111)

13. School attendance: Public schools cannot automatically expel students solely because of excessive absences. Intervention measures must be considered first. (SB 123)

14. Out-of-state landlords: Landlords who live outside Georgia must designate an in-state contact or property manager. (HB 399) ⚠️ Out-of-state landlords: Mostly true for certain residential landlords. They must maintain an in-state representative to handle tenant communications and issues.

15. Cell phones in schools: Students in grades K through 8 must keep personal electronic devices put away during the school day. (HB 340) ⚠️ Phones and social media in schools: Two laws were combined. K–8 students must generally keep personal devices inaccessible during the school day. School-network social-media restrictions came from a different law.

16. State employee raises: Includes raises for teachers, law enforcement, school nurses, nutrition workers, and bus drivers. (HB 916) ⚠️ State employee raises: Partly true, but the repost cites the wrong bill and oversimplifies the changes. For FY2027 (effective July 1, 2026), Georgia approved a $5,000 raise for most state employees and a one-time $2,000 supplement for K-12 teachers and certain school staff, including school nurses, nutrition workers, custodians, and bus drivers. The increases were not identical for every employee group.

17. HOPE Scholarship: HOPE now covers 100% of standard tuition at eligible public colleges. (HB 19) 🕰️ HOPE Scholarship: Mostly true, but not new. Georgia's HOPE Scholarship was restored to cover 100% of standard tuition at eligible public colleges through the FY2024 state budget (HB 19). This change took effect July 1, 2023, not as a new July 1, 2026 law. It covers standard tuition only, not mandatory fees, books, housing, or other expenses.

18. Property tax relief: Eligible homeowners may receive a $500 property tax rebate. (HB 112) ❌ Property tax relief: False. HB 112 did not create a $500 homeowner property tax rebate. It authorized a one-time state income tax refund of up to $500 for eligible married couples filing jointly, with lower maximums for other filing statuses. The refund is based on tax eligibility, not homeownership.

19. Voting leave: Eligible employees may receive up to two hours off to vote if needed. (O.C.G.A. 21-2-404) 🕰️ Time off to vote: True, but not new. Georgia law has long allowed employees to take up to two hours off work to vote, provided they give reasonable notice. However, an employer is not required to provide paid leave, and may specify the hours when the employee can be absent if the polls are open before or after the employee's shift. (OCGA § 21-2-404)

20. Kids’ lemonade stands: Minors can sell homemade goods like lemonade without permits in many situations. (SB 55) 🕰️ Kids selling lemonade: Mostly true, but not new. Georgia's Lemonade Stand Act took effect in 2023 (and was expanded in 2024). It allows qualifying minors to operate certain small businesses without local licenses, permits, or registrations if they meet requirements such as operating on private property and staying under the annual gross-receipts limit. The law does not exempt them from all taxes or other applicable laws.

21. Social media and minors: Additional parental protections for social media accounts used by minors. (SB 351)⚠️ No social media under 16 without parental approval: Georgia passed SB 351 (the Protecting Georgia's Children on Social Media Act), which would require parental consent for users under 16. However, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement before it took effect, and the case remains in litigation. As a result, the parental-consent requirement is not currently enforceable.

22. School bus stops: School systems should avoid bus stops that require children to cross roads with speed limits of 40 mph or higher. (HB 409) ⚠️ School-bus stops on 40-mph roads: Mostly true. Georgia law requires school systems to consider bus routes that avoid requiring students to cross roads with speed limits of 40 mph or greater. It is not an absolute ban on bus stops along those roads or on every student crossing such roads.

23. Child protection laws: New felony offense for grooming a minor and increased penalties related to child s*xual abuse material. (HB 993) 🕰️ Grooming a minor: True, but the law became effective in 2024, not this July.

24. Digital driver’s license: Georgia now recognizes a digital version of your driver’s license in many situations. (HB 296) ❌ Phone photo of a driver's license: False. A photo or screenshot of your driver's license is not an official digital driver's license. Georgia's official digital ID is the electronic credential issued by the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) and stored in a supported digital wallet, such as Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet.

25. School athletics and facilities: Public schools and colleges must follow Georgia’s requirements regarding biological s*x for bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports participation. (SB 1) ⚠️ Transgender bathroom and sports law: Generally true, but the repost oversimplifies it. SB 1 (the Riley Gaines Act of 2025) applies to Georgia public K-12 schools, public colleges and universities, and certain private schools that participate in interscholastic competition with public schools. It requires athletic teams and certain multi-occupancy restrooms, changing areas, and sleeping quarters to be designated by biological s*x, while also requiring reasonable accommodations, such as access to a single-occupancy facility in appropriate circumstances.

26. Human trafficking victims: Courts may reduce sentences for certain crimes committed as a direct result of being trafficked or abused. (HB 582) ⚠️ Sentence reduction for abuse survivors: Misleading. HB 582 (the Georgia Survivor Justice Act) does not provide an automatic sentence reduction. Instead, it allows courts to consider whether family violence, dating violence, child abuse, or human trafficking was a significant contributing factor to the offense and, in qualifying cases, to impose a reduced sentence or resentence an eligible person under the law's specific requirements.

27. Bomb threats: False bomb threats can now carry penalties of up to 15 years in prison. (O.C.G.A. 16-10-28 & SB 421)⚠️ False bomb threats: Misleading. Georgia increased penalties for certain false threats, but not every false bomb threat carries a 15-year sentence. The punishment depends on the specific offense, whether it is a first or repeat offense, the location or target of the threat, and whether anyone was injured or other aggravating circumstances apply.

28. Squatters: New legal tools make it easier for property owners to remove unauthorized occupants. (HB 1017)

29. Street racing: Spectators can face misdemeanor charges, while organizers and participants face tougher penalties. (SB 10) ⚠️ $250 fine for attending drag racing: Misleading. Georgia law does not impose a $250 fine simply for attending or watching an illegal drag race. The law applies to people who are knowingly present and actively facilitating the event, such as helping block the roadway or otherwise assisting the exhibition. Repeat or more serious racing-related offenses can carry harsher penalties.

30. Telemarketing: Consumers now have stronger legal options against unlawful telemarketing calls, including certain third-party contractors. (SB 73)

31. Passing a stopped school bus: Violations can result in fines up to $1,000 and up to 12 months in jail. (HB 344) ⚠️ Passing a stopped school bus: Mostly true. Georgia law provides serious penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus, including a minimum $1,000 fine and, in some cases, possible jail time. However, the viral repost cites the wrong bill and year, and the exact penalties depend on the specific violation and whether it is a first or repeat offense.

32. Cosmetology: Makeup application and blow-drying hair alone no longer require a cosmetology license. (SB 354) 🕰️ Makeup and blow-dry services: True, but not new. Georgia law allows a person employed by a licensed salon or barber shop to perform limited services, such as shampooing, blow-drying, and cosmetic application, without holding an individual cosmetology or barber license. They may not perform other services that require a professional license, such as cutting, coloring, chemical treatments, or other licensed cosmetology or barbering work.

33. Home-baked goods: Many homemade, nonperishable baked goods can now be sold without a cottage food license if all legal requirements are met. (HB 398)

34. Faking a service animal just got a lot more expensive. Georgia’s new Mara Jade Act (HB 668) strengthens protections for legitimate service dogs, recognizes psychiatric and owner-trained service dogs, and makes knowingly misrepresenting a pet as a service animal punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. Emotional support animals are not considered service animals under the law.

35. K-8 cellphone ban (HB 340). Public schools must prohibit students in kindergarten through 8th grade from using personal cell phones and similar devices during the school day.

36. Restaurants must disclose imported shrimp (HB 117). If a restaurant serves imported shrimp, it must clearly disclose that on its menu or with a visible sign.

37. HOA transparency reforms (HB 313). Homeowners gain additional rights to access association records and financial information, with new transparency requirements for many HOAs.

38. Crypto ATM protections (HB 945). New limits, fee caps, fraud warnings, and refund protections are aimed at reducing scams, especially against seniors.

39. Code enforcement officers now have stronger legal protections. Under HB 483, Georgia increased the penalties for assaulting or battering code enforcement inspectors while they’re performing their official duties.

40. Releasing helium balloons is now illegal in Georgia. Intentionally releasing helium-filled balloons into the air is now prohibited under state law to help reduce litter, protect wildlife, and prevent power outages caused by balloon debris. Violators can be fined. O.C.G.A. § 12-8-28.2 (HB 117)

If I missed anything, drop it in the comments.
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