Georgia Prohibited Places

The Headline

Even though Georgia is a constitutional carry state, several locations are off-limits to anyone carrying a firearm. The main statute is O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127, which lists government buildings, courthouses, jails, places of worship, state mental health facilities, nuclear power facilities, and polling places. Schools are covered separately in O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127.1, with a narrow campus-carry exception at subsection (c)(20) for public colleges. Commercial airports are governed by O.C.G.A. § 16-11-130.2.

Constitutional carry under SB 319 (April 12, 2022) did not change the prohibited-places list. Whether you carry under a Georgia Weapons Carry License (WCL) or as a permitless "lawful weapons carrier," the location rules apply to you the same way. The only meaningful split is on penalty: a lawful weapons carrier in a school safety zone faces a misdemeanor; a person who does not qualify as a lawful weapons carrier faces a felony graded at 2 to 10 years and up to a $10,000 fine.

Private property owners can also exclude you from their property. That is enforced through Georgia's criminal trespass statute, not § 16-11-127.

§ 16-11-127: The General Prohibited-Places List

O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127(b) makes it a misdemeanor to carry a weapon or long gun in any of the following:

• Government buildings. A lawful weapons carrier may enter a government building only when the building is open for business and ingress is not restricted or screened by security personnel. If you try to enter a building where ingress is restricted or screened by security personnel and at least one of those personnel is a certified peace officer, the carry is a misdemeanor. You get a safe harbor if you immediately exit or leave the location once notified you have failed security screening (§ 16-11-127(e)(1)). A person who is not a lawful weapons carrier commits a misdemeanor by attempting to enter any government building with a weapon, screened or not.
• Courthouses. No security-screening exception. A courthouse is any building occupied by judicial courts that contains rooms in which judicial proceedings are held (§ 16-11-127(a)(1)).
• Jails and prisons.
• State mental health facilities as defined in O.C.G.A. § 37-1-1 that admit individuals on an involuntary basis for treatment of mental illness, developmental disability, or addictive disease. The statute carves out the "weapon stored in a motor vehicle" rule at § 16-11-127(d)(3).
• Nuclear power facilities. Note that the punishment for carrying on the premises of a nuclear power facility is governed by O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127.2, which supersedes § 16-11-127's penalty. Carrying inside is a misdemeanor; carrying with intent to do bodily harm is a felony graded at 2 to 20 years and up to a $10,000 fine.
• Places of worship. Carrying is a violation unless the governing body or authority of the place of worship permits lawful weapons carriers to carry. This is the owner-consent rule added by the Safe Carry Protection Act (2014 Ga. Laws 604). A lawful weapons carrier who violates the place-of-worship rule may not be arrested but shall be fined not more than $100 (§ 16-11-127(e)(2)). A non-lawful-weapons-carrier faces a misdemeanor.
• Within 150 feet of any polling place when elections are being conducted (§ 16-11-127(b)(7)), with the narrow exception at § 21-2-413(i).

The definitions matter. A "government building" includes the building in which a government entity is housed, the building where a government entity meets in its official capacity (only during the meeting if the building is not publicly owned), and the portion of any non-publicly-owned building occupied by a government entity (§ 16-11-127(a)(2)). A "government entity" includes offices, agencies, authorities, departments, commissions, boards, divisions, instrumentalities, and institutions of the state or any county, municipality, consolidated government, or local board of education (§ 16-11-127(a)(3)).

Statutory Carve-Outs Under § 16-11-127(d)

Subsection (b) does not apply to:

1. Weapons used as exhibits in a legal proceeding, if secured and handled per court direction.
2. A lawful weapons carrier who approaches security or management upon arrival, notifies them of the weapon, and follows their direction for removing, securing, storing, or temporarily surrendering it.
3. A weapon possessed by a lawful weapons carrier that is under the possessor's control in a motor vehicle, in a locked compartment of a motor vehicle, in a locked container in a motor vehicle, or in a locked firearms rack on a motor vehicle, while the vehicle is parked in a parking facility (a "parking facility" is real property owned or leased by a government entity, courthouse, jail, prison, or place of worship and designated for parking at that location; § 16-11-127(a)(4)).

These are the workhorse exceptions. If a lawful weapons carrier needs to enter a courthouse or jail, the practical answer under (d)(3) is leave the firearm secured in your vehicle in the designated parking lot.

Government Buildings: The Screening Rule in Detail

Government buildings are the most operationally nuanced category. The Safe Carry Protection Act split government buildings into two regimes:

• Unscreened government buildings (no security personnel at ingress). A lawful weapons carrier may carry inside. This covers many courthouses' lobbies, county administrative buildings, city halls, and similar buildings that do not run a security checkpoint.
• Screened government buildings (ingress restricted or screened with a peace officer present). A lawful weapons carrier who enters or attempts to enter with a weapon is guilty of a misdemeanor, with the safe harbor: if you are notified of the screening failure and you immediately exit or leave, no violation.

The screening rule does not authorize a lawful weapons carrier to carry inside a courthouse, jail, or prison even if they happen to be unscreened. Those locations have their own prohibitions under § 16-11-127(b)(2) and (b)(3) and do not share the (e)(1) screening rule.

A person who is not a lawful weapons carrier is barred from any government building with a weapon, regardless of screening (§ 16-11-127(e)(1), final sentence).

§ 16-11-127.1: School Safety Zones, School Functions, and School Buses

O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127.1(b)(1) makes it unlawful for any person to carry to, possess, or have under their control a weapon or explosive compound while:

• Within a school safety zone.
• At a school function.
• On a bus or other transportation furnished by a school.

"School safety zone" includes real property and buildings owned by or leased to any public or private elementary school, secondary school, or local board of education used for elementary or secondary education, and any public or private technical school, vocational school, college, university, or other institution of postsecondary education (§ 16-11-127.1(a)(3)).

Penalty grading at K-12 schools

• A lawful weapons carrier who violates § 16-11-127.1(b)(1) at a K-12 school is guilty of a misdemeanor (§ 16-11-127.1(b)(2)).
• A person who is not a lawful weapons carrier is guilty of a felony, punishable by a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment from two to ten years, or both (§ 16-11-127.1(b)(2)).
• A violation involving a dangerous weapon or machine gun (as defined in O.C.G.A. § 16-11-121) carries a fine up to $10,000 or five to ten years imprisonment, or both (§ 16-11-127.1(b)(3)).

Statutory carve-outs at § 16-11-127.1(c)

Twenty subdivisions identify who or what is exempt from the school-safety-zone prohibition. The ones a CCW instructor needs to know:

• (c)(2) Participants in organized sport shooting events or firearm training courses.
• (c)(5) Peace officers, federal LEOs, prosecutors, certain corrections and community-supervision employees, campus police, and medical examiners while on duty or en route to or from official duties.
• (c)(6) A person authorized in writing by a duly authorized school official under O.C.G.A. § 16-11-130.1 to possess a weapon within the safety zone. The authorization must specify the weapon and the time period.
• (c)(7) A lawful weapons carrier when carrying or picking up a student, or a lawful weapons carrier whose weapon is legally kept within a vehicle parked within a school safety zone or in transit through one.
• (c)(8) A weapon possessed by a lawful weapons carrier under the possessor's control in a motor vehicle, or in a locked compartment, locked container, or locked firearms rack on the vehicle, while an adult over 21 uses the vehicle to bring or pick up a student or transport someone to an authorized activity. This exception does not apply to a student attending a K-12 school.
• (c)(17) Teachers and other personnel otherwise authorized to possess weapons, provided the weapon is in a locked compartment, locked container, or locked firearms rack on a motor vehicle.
• (c)(19) Any person 18 or older, or currently enrolled in classes on the campus in question, may carry an electroshock weapon (stun gun or taser) in a building or on real property owned by or leased to a public technical school, vocational school, college, university, or other public postsecondary institution. Use must be in defense of self or others. This applies only to electroshock weapons.

Subsection (c)(20): Campus Carry at Public Colleges and Universities

Added by HB 280 (2017 Ga. Laws 217, § 5), § 16-11-127.1(c)(20) is Georgia's campus-carry rule. A lawful weapons carrier may carry a handgun in a building or on real property owned by or leased to a public technical school, vocational school, college, university, or other public institution of postsecondary education, subject to six exclusions:

• (c)(20)(A)(i) Buildings or property used for athletic sporting events or student housing, including fraternity and sorority houses.
• (c)(20)(A)(ii) Any preschool or childcare space located within such buildings or real property.
• (c)(20)(A)(iii) Any room or space being used for classes related to a college and career academy or other specialized school under O.C.G.A. § 20-4-37.
• (c)(20)(A)(iv) Any room or space being used for classes in which high school students are enrolled through a dual enrollment program under the Dual Enrollment Act (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161.3).
• (c)(20)(A)(v) Faculty, staff, or administrative offices or rooms where disciplinary proceedings are conducted.
• (c)(20)(A)(vi) The exception only applies to handguns that are concealed. Open carry on a public college campus is not authorized under (c)(20).

"Concealed" under (c)(20)(C)(i) means carried in a fashion that does not actively solicit the attention of others and is not prominently, openly, and intentionally displayed except for defense of self or others. It includes carrying on the person while the handgun is substantially (not necessarily completely) covered by clothing, in a non-descript bag, or otherwise not clearly discernible to passive observation.

A first-offense violation of (c)(20) by a lawful weapons carrier is a misdemeanor punishable by a $25 fine and no confinement (§ 16-11-127.1(c)(20)(B)). That is the lightest penalty grade in § 16-11-127.1, but the rule still applies.

Private colleges and universities are also covered by the school safety zone definition at § 16-11-127.1(a)(3)(B). The (c)(20) campus-carry exception applies to public postsecondary institutions only. A private college may authorize carry under (c)(6) by written authorization, but the default at a private college is no carry.

Subsection (d): Residents, Workers, and Visitors

§ 16-11-127.1(d)(1) preserves carry rights for a person who resides or works in a business or is in the ordinary course transacting lawful business within a school safety zone, and for visitors of such residents. But carry remains unlawful at the school building, school function, school property, or bus or other transportation furnished by a school. The penalty for a violation tracks subsection (b).

Subsection (e): No defenses

It is no defense to a § 16-11-127.1 prosecution that school was not in session, that the property was being used for non-school purposes, or that the offense took place on a school bus (§ 16-11-127.1(e)).

§ 16-11-127.2: Nuclear Power Facilities

O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127.2(a) makes it a misdemeanor to carry, possess, or have under your control a weapon or long gun on the premises of a nuclear power facility, with limited carve-outs in subsection (c) for authorized security officers and certain government personnel listed in § 16-11-127.1(c)(2), (3), (4), and (8). Carrying with intent to do bodily harm escalates to a felony, punishable by a fine up to $10,000 and 2 to 20 years imprisonment (§ 16-11-127.2(b)).

This is the controlling penalty for nuclear-power-facility carry. § 16-11-127's general prohibition references the same site but defers to § 16-11-127.2 for the penalty.

§ 16-11-130.2: Commercial Service Airports

O.C.G.A. § 16-11-130.2(a) prohibits any person from entering the restricted access area of a commercial service airport (defined as an airport receiving scheduled passenger service from any major airline carrier, where "major airline carrier" means an airline with more than $1 billion in annual operating revenue; § 16-11-130.2(a.1)) in or beyond the airport security screening checkpoint, while knowingly possessing or knowingly having under their control a weapon or long gun. The statute defines the prohibited zone narrowly: it does not include airport drives, general parking areas, walkways, or shops and areas of the terminal outside the screening checkpoint that are normally open to unscreened passengers or visitors. Prohibited areas must be clearly indicated by prominent signs.

Penalty grading

• Non-license-holder: misdemeanor.
• License holder: misdemeanor, with a safe harbor at § 16-11-130.2(b). If you are notified at the screening checkpoint that you possess a weapon and you immediately leave the restricted access area after completing federally required TSA screening procedures, you are not guilty.
• Any person who violates the section with intent to commit a separate felony: felony, fined $1,000 to $15,000, imprisoned 1 to 10 years, or both (§ 16-11-130.2(c)).

The section preempts conflicting local airport ordinances (§ 16-11-130.2(d)).

Note: § 16-11-130.2 governs the commercial service airport, not campus carry. § 16-11-127.1(c)(20) is the campus-carry exception. Different statutes, different rules. Do not conflate them.

Federal Prohibited Locations

State law is not the whole picture. Federal law layers additional prohibitions:

• 18 U.S.C. § 922(q) (Gun-Free School Zones Act). Federal crime to carry a firearm within 1,000 feet of K-12 school grounds. Holders of a state-issued, background-checked carry license are exempt in their state of issue. A Georgia WCL qualifies. A permitless "lawful weapons carrier" under SB 319 does not qualify for the federal exemption.
• 18 U.S.C. § 930. Federal crime to carry in a federal facility, defined as a building or part of a building owned or leased by the federal government where federal employees regularly perform official duties. Penalties up to one year, or five years for federal courts/courtrooms or with intent to commit a crime.
• 39 C.F.R. § 232.1 and USPS regulations. Firearms are prohibited on Postal Service property, including parking lots. Federal courts have split on whether the parking-lot ban survives Second Amendment scrutiny post-Bruen, but the regulation remains on the books and is enforced.
• 49 U.S.C. § 46505. Federal crime to bring a loaded firearm onto an aircraft. TSA rules govern luggage carry. Pair this with § 16-11-130.2 for the secured-area side of the airport.
• 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) and § 922(n). Federal prohibitors (felons, drug users, persons under indictment, persons subject to qualifying domestic protective orders, dishonorable discharges, unlawful aliens, renounced citizens). These travel with the person, not the location.

Federal facilities and federal courthouses are typical examples that sit outside Georgia's § 16-11-127 enumeration but apply through federal law.

Private Property

Georgia's prohibited-places statute does not directly criminalize ignoring a "no firearms" sign. The enforcement mechanism is criminal trespass under O.C.G.A. § 16-7-21(b): a person who knowingly remains on premises after notice from the owner, rightful occupant, or authorized representative is guilty of a misdemeanor.

In practice:

• Posting a sign by itself does not create a felony zone. Refusing to leave after being asked is what triggers criminal liability.
• Signage form is not statutorily fixed. Verbal notice works. Written notice works. A printed "no firearms" decal on the door works.
• A lawful weapons carrier who enters a posted business and is asked to leave must leave. Staying is criminal trespass even if you were lawfully carrying when you entered.
• The same private-property authority applies to places of worship (§ 16-11-127(b)(4), owner consent required) and bars under the general § 16-11-127 framework: the operator controls.

§ 16-11-127(c) reinforces this: a lawful weapons carrier is authorized to carry in every location not listed in subsection (b) or prohibited by subsection (e), but private property owners or persons in legal control of private property retain the right to exclude or eject a person in possession of a weapon under § 16-7-21(b)(3). Exception: § 16-11-135 limits this right in the employer parking lot context.

What Constitutional Carry Did Not Change

SB 319 (April 12, 2022) amended § 16-11-126 to authorize lawful weapons carriers to carry without a license. It did not amend § 16-11-127, § 16-11-127.1, § 16-11-127.2, or § 16-11-130.2. The prohibited-places list is identical for WCL holders and permitless carriers, with two real-world splits:

1. Federal Gun-Free School Zones Act exemption. Only state-licensed carriers (WCL holders) get the 1,000-foot exemption around K-12 schools. Permitless carriers do not.
2. Campus carry at public colleges. § 16-11-127.1(c)(20) requires the carrier to be a lawful weapons carrier age 21 or older. The 21-or-older limit means an active-duty servicemember under 21 who qualifies as a lawful weapons carrier under § 16-11-129(b)(2)(A) cannot rely on the campus-carry exception even though they may carry elsewhere in Georgia.

For every other prohibited location on this page, WCL holders and permitless carriers are treated the same.

Reference Table

The Operative Rule

If you carry in Georgia, treat the location rules this way:

• § 16-11-127 keeps you out of government buildings with security, courthouses, jails, prisons, state mental health facilities, nuclear power facilities, places of worship without consent, and within 150 feet of a polling place during elections.
• § 16-11-127.1 keeps you out of K-12 schools, school functions, and school buses, with narrow carve-outs at subsection (c). On public college campuses, you may carry a concealed handgun under (c)(20) if you are a lawful weapons carrier 21 or older, with exclusions for athletic events, student housing, preschool spaces, dual-enrollment classrooms, and faculty/staff/disciplinary spaces.
• § 16-11-130.2 keeps you out of the secured area of a commercial airport. Curbside, parking, and pre-checkpoint areas are not restricted by state law.
• Federal law (§ 922(q), § 930, USPS) layers additional locations. WCL holders get the federal school-zone exemption; permitless carriers do not.
• Private property owners can exclude you. Refusing to leave after notice is criminal trespass under § 16-7-21(b).

Constitutional carry expanded who may be armed in public. It did not expand where you may carry. The location rules in this section apply with or without a WCL.