Georgia Code, Title 27, Chapter 1 - General Provisions

• § 27-1-1 - Short Title
  This title shall be known and may be cited as the "Game and Fish Code."
• § 27-1-2 - (for Effective Date, See Note.) Definitions
  As used in this title, the term: (1) "Adult supervision" means under the command and control of a person 18 years of age or...
• § 27-1-3 - Legislative Declarations; Ownership and Custody of Wildlife; Preservation of Hunting and Fishing Opportunities; Promotion and Right to Hunt, Trap, or Fish; Local Regulation; General Offenses
  (a) The General Assembly recognizes that hunting and fishing and the taking of wildlife are a valued part of the cultural heritage of the...
• § 27-1-4 - Powers and Duties of Board Generally
  The board shall have the following powers and duties relative to this title: (1) Establishment of the general policies to be followed by the...
• § 27-1-5 - Applicability of "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act" to Rules and Regulations Promulgated by Board; Affirmation of Decision by Operation of Law; Appellate Review
  (a) Except as otherwise specifically provided, all rules and regulations promulgated by the board under this title shall be promulgated pursuant to Chapter 13...
• § 27-1-6 - Powers and Duties of Department Generally
  The department shall have the following powers and duties: (1) Subject to all applicable state laws, to acquire by purchase, condemnation, lease, agreement, gift,...
• § 27-1-7 - Technical Assistance for Control or Elimination of Wild or Abandoned Dogs
  Upon the request of the governing authority of a city, county, or combination thereof, the department is authorized to provide technical assistance to the...
• § 27-1-8 - Construction of Fish Ladders; Requiring Construction by Private Persons; Assessment of Cost Upon Refusal; Issuance of Execution
  (a) The department is authorized to provide for the free passage of fish in the fresh-water streams of Georgia for the purpose of spawning...
• § 27-1-9 - Consent to Federal Rules and Regulations Pursuant to Federal Law Authorizing Purchase of Land by United States Government for River Navigability Purposes
  The consent of the General Assembly is given to the making by the Congress of the United States or under its authority of all...
• § 27-1-10 - Assent to Federal Law Respecting Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Projects, Fish Restoration Projects, Wildlife Conservation Education, and Wildlife Associated Recreation Projects
  The State of Georgia assents to the provisions of P.L. 75-415 and P.L. 81-681. The department is authorized, empowered, and directed to perform such...
• § 27-1-11 - Consent to Acquisition of Land by United States Government for Conservation Purposes; Notice of Intended Use
  (a) The consent of the State of Georgia is given to the acquisition by the United States government by purchase, gift, devise, lease, condemnation,...
• § 27-1-12 - Federal-State Cooperation in Protection and Management of Wildlife in National Forest; Powers of Board
  (a) The department shall have the authority to enter into cooperative agreements with the United States government or with the proper authorities thereof for...
• § 27-1-13 - Disposition of Funds Received by Department; Appropriations; Grants and Donations for Natural Resources Conservation Camps
  (a) All funds resulting from the operation of the department and from the administration of the laws and regulations pertaining to wildlife, excluding fines,...
• § 27-1-14 - Disposition of Fines and Bond Forfeitures
  The proceeds from all fines and bond forfeitures arising from criminal prosecution for violation of the wildlife laws, rules, and regulations shall, except as...
• § 27-1-15 - Wildlife Technicians
  Reserved. Repealed by Ga. L. 1981, p. 798, § 3, effective July 1, 1981.
• § 27-1-16 - Establishment of Unit of Conservation Rangers; Qualifications, Appointment, and Supervisory Personnel; Retention of Badge and Weapon Upon Disability Retirement
  (a) Within the department is established a unit of peace officers to be known as conservation rangers. All such conservation rangers shall be at...
• § 27-1-17 - Deputy Conservation Rangers
  (a) The board shall have the power to appoint deputy conservation rangers. No deputy conservation rangers may be appointed without actual duties relating to...
• § 27-1-18 - Powers of Conservation Rangers Generally
  (a) Conservation rangers shall have the power and authority: (1) To enforce all state laws on all property owned or controlled by the department;...
• § 27-1-19 - Power of Conservation Rangers and Deputy Conservation Rangers to Arrest Persons; Procedure Upon Failure of Person Arrested to Appear to Answer Charges
  (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, conservation rangers and deputy conservation rangers, when authorized to do so by the board,...
• § 27-1-20 - Additional Powers of Conservation Rangers; Functions of Other Agencies Assigned to Department
  (a) In addition to the powers enumerated in Code Sections 27-1-18 and 27-1-19, conservation rangers shall have all the powers previously vested in any...
• § 27-1-21 - Seizure and Disposal of Wildlife Illegally Taken or Possessed; Civil Action by Possessor; Disposal of Wildlife Unable to Be Stored; Disposition of Unmarketable Items
  (a) Conservation rangers, sheriffs, and other peace officers of this state or any political subdivision thereof shall seize any wildlife taken or possessed in...
• § 27-1-22 - Taking, Possessing, and Releasing of Wildlife Generally
  For purposes of wildlife management and in accordance with sound principles of wildlife research and management, authorized personnel of the department and persons authorized...
• § 27-1-23 - Inspection of Business Premises and Records of Commercial License Holders
  Any commercial license holder shall be deemed, by application for such license, to have agreed to make his business premises and records available for...
• § 27-1-24 - Inspection of Vessels and Boats
  The provisions of this title or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this title pertaining to the operation of vessels or boats upon...
• § 27-1-25 - Interference With Arrest or Performance of Ranger's Duties
  It shall be unlawful for any person to resist or interfere by force, menace, threat, or in any other manner with any arrest for...
• § 27-1-25.1 - Failure or Refusal to Bring Motor Vehicle or Boat to a Stop When Ordered to Do So
  It shall be unlawful for any person operating any motor vehicle or power boat to fail or refuse to bring such vehicle or boat...
• § 27-1-26 - Impersonation of Conservation Officer
  Reserved. Repealed by Ga. L. 1986, p. 1059, § 2, effective April 7, 1986.
• § 27-1-27 - Damaging or Destroying Department Property
  It shall be unlawful for any person to take, damage, or destroy any wildlife, equipment, gate, building, or other property belonging to or under...
• § 27-1-28 - Taking of Nongame Species
  (a) Except as otherwise provided by law, rule, or regulation, it shall be unlawful to hunt, trap, fish, take, possess, or transport any nongame...
• § 27-1-29 - Sale or Purchase of Game
  Except as otherwise specifically provided, it shall be unlawful for any person in this state to sell or to purchase any game species or...
• § 27-1-30 - Disturbing or Destroying Wildlife Habitats
  Except as otherwise provided by law or regulation, it shall be unlawful to disturb, mutilate, or destroy the dens, holes, or homes of any...
• § 27-1-31 - Unlawful Possession or Use of Wildlife; Unlawful Concealment
  (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to make use of or possess any wildlife or parts thereof which he knows or reasonably...
• § 27-1-32 - Hiring of Another to Take Wildlife Contrary to Law
  It shall be unlawful for any person to hire another to take or possess wildlife in violation of the wildlife laws, rules, and regulations.
• § 27-1-33 - Noncompliance With Laws While on Fishing Area, Fish Hatchery, Natural Area, or Wildlife Management Area; Hunting Without Wildlife Management Area License; Acts Constituting Criminal Trespass
  (a) It shall be unlawful to enter upon or to hunt, trap, or fish on any public fishing area, fish hatchery, or natural area,...
• § 27-1-34 - Defenses Not Available in Prosecutions for Violations
  In any prosecution for the violation of any of the provisions of the wildlife laws, it shall not be a defense that the person...
• § 27-1-35 - Jurisdiction of Probate Courts; Summons
  (a) The jurisdiction of the probate courts of the several counties of this state is enlarged and extended so that probate courts, acting by...
• § 27-1-36 - Civil Enforcement by Department; Disposition of Penalties
  (a) As an alternative to criminal enforcement pursuant to Code Section 27-1-38, the department, in order to enforce this title or any rules and...
• § 27-1-37 - Administrative Orders; Emergency Administrative Orders; Administrative Review
  (a) Whenever the department has reason to believe that a violation of any provision of this title, any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto,...
• § 27-1-38 - Penalty for Violations of Title
  Unless otherwise specifically provided, any person who violates any of the provisions of this title shall be guilty of a misdemeanor; provided, however, that...
• § 27-1-39 - Rules and Regulations Used to Establish Criminal Violations
  Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, for purposes of establishing criminal violations of the rules and regulations promulgated by the Board of Natural...

Last modified: October 14, 2016