Georgia

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Georgia

This jurisdictional hub aggregates FRC holdings related to Georgia. It supports research on the state’s firearms history, technology, law, policy, and culture from the colonial and territorial periods through statehood to the present.

Legal sources: statutes and session laws, administrative code, attorney general opinions, appellate decisions, and select municipal ordinances.
Historical materials: newspapers, photographs, maps, catalogs, manufacturing, militia, and agricultural records, and oral histories tied to Georgia people and places.
Research outputs: technical reports, academic studies, training manuals, and curated datasets relevant to the state.

Cite the Firearms Research Center and the item’s handle/DOI when using materials. Rights and licensing vary by item.

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Now showing 1 - 26 of 26

Oliver H. Prince, Digest of the Laws of the State of Georgia 407, 409 (1822)
(1806)
Required "All male white inhabitants ... from the age of eighteen to forty-five years ... to appear and work upon the several roads, creeks, causeways, water- passages, and bridges" and to "carry with him one good and sufficient gun or pair of pistols, and at least nine cartridges to fit the same, or twelve loads of powder and ball, or buck shot."
19 The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia 348-49 (Pt. 2, 1911)
(1791)
Required males between 16 and 50 to serve in the militia and provide their own arms. The arms requirement was "one rifle musket, fowling- piece or fusee fit for action, with a cartridge box or powder-horn answerable for that purpose with six cartridges or powder and lead equal thereto and three flints."
18 The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia 117-18 (1910)
(1755)
Requirement that "any Slave" have a ticket to use a firearm that must be renewed every month, subject to seizure.
P. G. Rhome, By-Laws of the Corporation of Crawfordville, Georgia 8 (1849)
(1849)
Prohibited shooting or discharging any pistol, gun, rifle, or other fire-arms within the corporate limits. Violators fined not less than twenty-five cents nor more than one dollar on the first offense. Upon the second offense, violators fined not less than one dollar, nor more than two dollars, at the commissioners discretion.
A Compilation of the Acts of the Legislature Incorporating the City of Macon, Georgia 48 (1858)
(1858)
§ 5:§It shall not be lawful for any person to fire a gun, pistol, or any other fire arms, within three hundred yards of any house, except in cases of military parade; nor shall any person burn rockets, crackers, or any kind of fireworks within the limits of the city. Any person so offending shall be fined in a sum not exceeding twenty dollars.
Charter and Ordinances of the City of Macon 38 (1853)
(1853)
§ 5: Prohibited the discharge of a gun, pistol, or any other fire-arms within three hundred yards of any house. Also prohibited burning rockets, crackers, or any kind of fireworks within the limits of the city. Violators fined not exceeding twenty dollars.
18 The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia 190 (1910)
(1756)
"And be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that it shall not be Lawful for any of the said Acadians to have or use any fire Arms or other Offensive Weapons otherwise than in his Masters Plantation or immediately under his Inspection on any Occasion, Account or pretence whatsoever."
Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia Passed in Milledgeville at an Annual Session in November and December 1837, at 90-91 (1838)
(1837)
§§ 1-4: Prohibited any merchant, or "any other person or persons whatsoever," to sell, offer to sell, keep, or have on their person or elsewhere any Bowie knife or "any other kind of knives, manufactured and sold for the purpose of wearing, or carrying the same as arms of offence or defence," pistols, swords, sword canes, or spears. Exempted "such pistols as are known as horseman's pistols" from these restrictions. Punishable by a fine of up to $100-500 for the first offense and $500-1,000 for subsequent offenses.
1845 Ga. Laws 832
(1833)
Art. I, Sec. I, Pt. 41: Prohibition for "any free person of colour" to own, use, or carry any firearms.
1847 Ga. Laws 138
(1847)
An Act To Incorporate The Evergreen Cemetery Company Of Bonaventure, § 5: Prohibited shooting or discharging any gun or other firearms within the cemetery limits. Violators guilty of a misdemeanor.
The Minutes of the Senate Academicus of the State of Georgia, 1799-1842, at 86 (1810)
(1842)
Banning students from keeping any gun, pistol, Dagger, Dirk sword cane or any other offensive weapon on campus. Also banned students from possessing them out of the college in any case whatsoever.
1851-52 Ga. Acts 269
(1852)
No. 165: Prohibited the concealed carry of any pistol, dirk, sword in a cane, spear, Bowie knife, or any other kind of knives manufactured and sold for the purpose of offense or defense.
1837 Ga. Laws 619
(1831)
Required gun powder over five pounds to be transported with marks indicating the containers hold gunpowder. Violators shall have gunpowder seized and forfeited.
19 The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia 291, 296 (1911)
(1773)
"That every Person liable llable to ap to appear and bear arms at any Exercise Muster or Training hereby appointed Pursuant to the directions of this Act Shall constantly keep and bring with them to Such Muster Exercise or Training one Gun or Musket fit for Service one Catridge Box with at least Nine Catridges filled with Good Gun owder and Ball that shall fit his Piece a horn or Flask containing at least aQuarter of a Pound of Gun Powder a shot Pouch with half a pound of Bulletts..."
19 The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia 137-39 (1911)
(1770)
Required every white male inhabitant attending church or other places of divine worship to carry a gun or pair of pistols. Arms are required to be in good order and fit for service, along with at least six charges of gun-powder and ball. Violators fined ten shillings for each violation.
1777 Ga. Const. arts. 33-34
(1777)
Granted the governor title of captains general and commander-in-chief over all militia, military, and naval forces belonging to the state of Georgia. Also specified that commissions continue during good behavior.
1845 Ga. Laws 763
(1790)
Prohibited deer-hunting by fire-light and a gun not within one's own enclosure. Violators shall be fined not exceeding five pounds.
1821 Ga. Laws 593
(1816)
Div. 9, § 4: Prohibited challenging another, or accepting any such challenge, to duel with a sword, pistol, or other deadly weapon. Violators fined a sum of five hundred dollars and imprisoned at hard labour not less than three months nor more than one year.
1821 Ga. Laws 599
(1816)
Div. 10, § 19: Prohibited the carrying of any pistol, hanger, cutlass, bludgeon, or other offensive weapon with the intent to assault a person. Punishable by imprisonment with hard labor for a period of time to be determined by a jury.
19 The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia 104, 108 (Pt. 2, 1911)
(1778)
"every person liable to appear and bear Arms at any Muster, exercise or training hereby appointed , pursuant to the directions of this Act, shall constantly keep and bring with him, to such training , exercising or Muster, one good Gun, Bayonet, hanger , sword or hatchet , a Cartouch Box, twelve Cartridges a powder horn and half pound of Powder , with at least twenty four pounds of Lead, a Worm , pricker and four Flints each,"
19 The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia 353 (Pt. 2, 1911)
(1784)
"in case any person or persons so liable shall neglect or refuse to appear compleatly armed and furnished with one rifle musket, fowling-piece or fusee fit for action, with a cartridge box or powder-horn answerable for that purpose with six cartridges or powder and lead equal thereto and three flints, at any general musters of the regiment or battalion to which his company belongs, every such erson shall forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding five shillings,"
1800 Ga. Laws 153-54
(1768)
Prohibited "any slave" from possessing firearms, ammunition, or weapons without a ticket from their master or a white person over the age of sixteen present and any time after sunset on Saturday but before sunrise Monday morning.
18 The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia 294-95 (1910)
(1759)
unlawful to fire "any great gun or shall arm in the town or harbour of Savannah after Sun Set without leave or permission from the Governor." Margin note says "small arm."
18 The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia 11 (1910)
(1755)
"that every person lyable to appear and bear Arms at any Muster, exercise or training hereby appointed pursuant to the Direction of this Act, shall constantly keep in his House, or at his usual place of abode, and bring with him at such muster Exercise or training one Gun or Musquet fit for Service, one Cartridge Box with at least nine Cartridges filled with good Gun powder and Ball that shall fit his Piece"
2 Backgrounds of Selective Service, Part 4: Georgia Enactments 60-61 (1947)
(1765)
Required anyone obliged to bear arms under militia service to refuse to fire his gun not exceeding six times each muster day, or shall refuse to do his duty, obey the lawful commands of his officer, or being drunk at the time of muster. Violators fined up to ten shillings Sterling.
19 The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia 76-78 (1911)
(1768)
"Establishing and Regulating Patrols" for "Searching and examining any Negroe house for Offensive Weapons Fire Arms and Ammunition." While the statute regulating possession of firearms referred only to slaves, the title of the statute suggests that it applied to any black person, slave or free. The law prohibited slaves possessing or carrying "Fire Arms or any Offensive Weapon whatsoever" except with a permit "from his Master Mistress or Overseer to Hunt and Kill Game Cattle or Mischievous Birds or Birds of Prey." Other provisions allowed a slave to possess a gun while in the company of a white person 16 years or older, or while actually protecting crops from birds. Under no conditions was a slave allowed to carry "any Gun Cutlass Pistol or other Offensive Weapon" from Saturday sunset until sunrise Monday morning

Georgia

Georgia

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