JB @jaekrew - Twitter Profile

New Georgia laws that officially went into effect July 1, 2026 🍑 Here are some of the biggest changes residents should know about: 🧵👇 K–8 students are now prohibited from using cellphones and other personal electronic devices during the school day, with limited exceptions. Restaurants must disclose when the shrimp they serve is imported instead of domestic or wild-caught. Georgia expanded its Safe Haven law, allowing newborns to be surrendered at ambulances, public-safety vehicles and approved newborn safety devices. State employees who give birth can receive up to 120 hours of paid maternity leave. Banks can temporarily freeze suspicious transactions when financial exploitation of an elderly or disabled adult is suspected. Georgia created new regulations for cryptocurrency kiosks, including transaction limits, fee caps and fraud warnings. Stealing, forging or fraudulently using gift cards can now result in felony charges. Pimping and pandering offenses have been increased from misdemeanors to felonies. Hotels, inns and short-term rental businesses must provide human-trafficking awareness training to employees. Criminal and registry background checks are now required for more caregivers working with children, elderly adults and people with disabilities. It is now illegal to possess, sell, manufacture or use signal-jamming devices, with limited exceptions. Georgia created new criminal offenses for sexual misconduct by clergy members. Falsely claiming an animal is a service dog is now illegal, with stronger penalties for harming or interfering with legitimate service dogs. People can trap feral hogs without a hunting license and use drones to locate them, but captured hogs must be euthanized. Odometer tampering is now a felony, with increased penalties for mileage and vehicle-title fraud. Pharmacists with special training can provide certain HIV prevention medications without a traditional prescription. Public schools may offer hunting-safety courses to students in grades 6–12. Georgia high schools may award early diplomas to terminally ill students receiving end-of-life care. Magistrate courts can now hear civil cases involving up to $25,000, increased from $15,000. Local governments must provide real-time online updates for building-permit applications.

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