Tuesday is the start of the 2026 fiscal year in the state of Georgia, and a slew of new Georgia laws go into effect. Here is a list of some of those laws. Additionally, there are many laws that have already gone into effect or won't got into effect until Jan. 1, 2026. A complete list of bills signed by Gov. Brian Kemp can be found here. 

 

Finances 

• Income Tax Cut – HB 111 Georgia’s flat income tax rate drops slightly (from ~5.39% to 5.19%), with plans to reach 4.99% over time. 

• Expand Child Tax Credit – HB 136 Increases Georgia’s child and dependent care tax credit and creates a new $250 credit for each child under age 6.

• Fair Pay for People With Disabilities – SB 55 Ends subminimum wages for workers with disabilities.

 

Law 

• Tougher Fentanyl Punishments – SB 79 Sentences and penalties for small amounts of fentanyl trafficking are harsher to help fight the opioid crisis.

• Wrongful Conviction Relief – SB 244 People wrongly convicted can now seek compensation. If prosecutors acted improperly, defendants can reclaim attorney fees.

• Survivor Justice Act – HB 582 Domestic-violence or trafficking survivors who committed crimes under duress can ask for lighter sentences or have them reduced.

 

Education/Child Safety

• Fairness in Sports – SB 1 Requires school sports teams to be designated by sex and limits participation accordingly.

• Exams for Home Study Students – SB 63 Mandates local schools offer certain exams to home study students.

• Revision of Child Neglect Definition – SB 110 Updates child neglect laws and protects parents who allow safe independent activities.

• No Expulsion for Missing School – SB 123 Students can’t be kicked out just for being absent too much. Schools must now use supportive strategies instead of expulsion.

• Combating Higher Education Threats from China – HB 150 Requires public universities to report funding from Chinese-linked entities.

• Background Checks for Early Childhood Workers – HB 175 Stricter fingerprint and registry checks for daycare and Head Start employees.

• Drug Costs for State Employees – HB 196 Requires drug reimbursements under state health plans to follow transparent pricing.

• Ban on Cellphones in K–8 – HB 340 Elementary and middle schools must keep personal cellphones stowed during school hours. Other personal electronic devices also banned. 

• Quality Basic Education Act -- HB 371 Raises funding for education from $300 million to $375 million in effort to improve quality of education.  

 

Health

• Fentanyl Test Strips Now Legal – SB 6 It’s no longer illegal to carry tools that test drugs for fentanyl. This harm-reduction measure can help prevent overdoses.

• Adoptees Get Birth Certificates – SB 100 "Andee’s Law" Adult adoptees can now request their original birth certificates without a court order.

• Hope for Georgia Patients – SB 72 Expands access to experimental treatments for seriously ill patients.

• Gestational Diabetes Care – HB 352 Health insurers must better cover diabetes treatment for pregnant women.

• IVF Protection – HB 428 Guarantees the right to in vitro fertilization and defines it in Georgia law.

• High Deductible Health Plans for State Employees – HB 422 Requires state employee health plans to offer high-deductible options.

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Veterans

• Burial in Veterans Cemeteries – HB 53 Expands eligibility for burial in Georgia veterans cemeteries.

• Military tax exemption -- HB266 Exempts military veterans from paying income tax on retirement income.

 

Infrastructure 

• Regulating "Vertiports" – HB 156 The state can plan for future drone or air-taxi ports.

• Let Heavier Trucks Use Local Roads – HB 164 Trucks can be 4,000 lbs heavier (up to 84k lbs) on non-interstate roads.

• Digital Driver’s Licenses OK – HB 296 Your mobile (e.g., phone wallet) driver's license is now legally valid—just remember to keep your physical copy too.

 

Consumer 

• Property Insurance Policies – SB 35 Requires insurers to notify policyholders before canceling a homeowners’ insurance policy.

• Sales of Catalytic Converters – SB 40 Adds registration and recordkeeping requirements for selling used catalytic converters.

• Increased Protection for Homeowners from Contractors – SB 201 Improves contract rules after natural disasters and limits certain insurance assignments.

• Limits on Storage Auction Notices – HB 131 Storage units need just one public auction notice (instead of two).

• Mortgage Privacy Boost – HB 240 Mortgage brokers can’t spam you with calls after your credit check—protecting your privacy.

• Exempt Rideshare Drivers from Motor Carrier Definition – HB 339 Exempts rideshare drivers from motor carrier rules and limits company liability.

• Protect Sale of Homemade Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics – HB 398 Legalizes cottage food production and blocks local regulation.

• Landlords Must Have GA Agent – HB 399 If your landlord lives out of state, they must have a local contact for emergencies.

   

Animal Protection

• Protect Pets in Domestic Violence Situations – HB 177 Allows protective orders to include pets in family or dating violence cases.

• Roadside Pet Sales Banned – HB 331 No more selling dogs or cats from cars or gas stations—only licensed sellers.

• Ban Air Guns While Hunting & Update Catfish Rules – HB 491 Bans air guns for hunting and updates catfish bowfishing rules.

 

End of Life

• Human Composting Legal – SB 241 An eco-friendly burial option: bodies can now be composted into soil.

 

Miscellaneous

• Fluorescent Pink Hunting Gear Allowed – HB 167 Blaze pink is now a legal alternative to orange for deer hunting safety.

• State Stew Named – HB 233 Designates Brunswick stew as Georgia’s official state stew.

• New Specialty License Plates – SB 291 Creates an "America First" specialty license plate. 

 

Historic Battlefields

• Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund Act – HB 454 Creates a grant fund to preserve historic battlefields.