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Georgia Criminal Procedure (O.C.G.A. Title 17) – 2026

The statute that governs criminal proceedings in Georgia, from arrest through appeal, in twenty-two chapters. Georgia puts in its Code what many states put in rules of court, so this is where a criminal practitioner actually works: Chapter 4 is arrest, Chapter 5 searches and seizures, Chapter 6 bonds and recognizances, Chapter 7 pretrial proceedings, Chapter 8 trial, and Chapter 16 discovery. Chapter 3 sets the limitations on prosecution and Chapter 10 sentence and punishment. Chapter 12 is legal defense for indigents, Chapter 13 criminal extradition, and Chapter 17 the Crime Victims' Bill of Rights. Chapter 15 covers victim compensation and Chapter 15A compensation for criminally inflicted property damage. Chapter 20 governs identification procedures for live lineups, photo lineups and showups; Chapter 21 cold case murder reinvestigation; and Chapter 22 compensation for wrongful conviction and incarceration. Repealed chapters are published as such, so a citation in an older opinion still resolves.

Browse all 472 rules of the 2026 edition organized by section below. Each rule includes the full text, a plain-English summary, committee notes, amendment history, and cross-references to related rules. Use the search box to find rules by keyword or number.

Sections

Chapter 1. General Provisions Chapter 2. Jurisdiction and Venue Chapter 3. Limitations on Prosecution Chapter 4. Arrest of Persons Chapter 5. Searches and Seizures Chapter 6. Bonds and Recognizances Chapter 7. Pretrial Proceedings Chapter 8. Trial Chapter 9. Verdict and Judgment Generally Chapter 10. Sentence and Punishment Chapter 11. Assessment and Payment of Costs of Criminal Proceedings Chapter 12. Legal Defense For Indigents Chapter 13. Criminal Extradition Chapter 14. Restitution and Distribution of Profits to Victims of Crimes Chapter 15. Victim Compensation Chapter 15A. Compensation for Criminally Inflicted Property Damage Chapter 16. Discovery Chapter 17. Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights Chapter 18. Written Statements of Information to Victims of Rape or Forcible Sodomy Chapter 20. Identification Procedures for Live Lineups, Photo Lineups, and Showups Chapter 21. Cold Case Murder Reinvestigation Chapter 22. Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation
Chapter 1. General Provisions §§ 17-1-1–17-1-4 Chapter 2. Jurisdiction and Venue §§ 17-2-1–17-2-4 Chapter 3. Limitations on Prosecution §§ 17-3-1–17-3-3 Chapter 4. Arrest of Persons §§ 17-4-1–17-4-80 Chapter 5. Searches and Seizures §§ 17-5-1–17-5-100 Chapter 6. Bonds and Recognizances §§ 17-6-1–17-6-114 Chapter 7. Pretrial Proceedings §§ 17-7-1–17-7-192 Chapter 8. Trial §§ 17-8-1–17-8-76 Chapter 9. Verdict and Judgment Generally §§ 17-9-1–17-9-63 Chapter 10. Sentence and Punishment §§ 17-10-1–17-10-71 Chapter 11. Assessment and Payment of Costs of Criminal Proceedings §§ 17-11-1–17-11-24 Chapter 12. Legal Defense For Indigents §§ 17-12-1–17-12-80 Chapter 13. Criminal Extradition §§ 17-13-1–17-13-49 Chapter 14. Restitution and Distribution of Profits to Victims of Crimes §§ 17-14-1–17-14-32 Chapter 15. Victim Compensation §§ 17-15-1–17-15-17 Chapter 15A. Compensation for Criminally Inflicted Property Damage §§ 17-15A-1–17-15A-4 Chapter 16. Discovery §§ 17-16-1–17-16-23 Chapter 17. Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights §§ 17-17-1–17-17-16 Chapter 18. Written Statements of Information to Victims of Rape or Forcible Sodomy §§ 17-18-1–17-18-2 Chapter 20. Identification Procedures for Live Lineups, Photo Lineups, and Showups §§ 17-20-1–17-20-3 Chapter 21. Cold Case Murder Reinvestigation §§ 17-21-1–17-21-4 Chapter 22. Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation §§ 17-22-1–17-22-12