2022 Georgia Code
Title 1 - General Provisions
Chapter 2 - Persons and Their Rights
§ 1-2-8. Rights of Minors

The law prescribes certain ages at which persons shall be considered of sufficient maturity to discharge certain civil functions, to make contracts, and to dispose of property. Prior to those ages they are minors and are, on account of that disability, unable to exercise these rights as citizens unless such minor becomes emancipated by operation of law or pursuant to Article 10 of Chapter 11 of Title 15.

History. Orig. Code 1863, § 1588; Code 1868, § 1651; Code 1873, § 1657; Code 1882, § 1657; Civil Code 1895, § 1811; Civil Code 1910, § 2168; Code 1933, § 79-208; Ga. L. 2006, p. 141, § 2/HB 847; Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 4-1/HB 242.

Cross references.

Capacity of minors to enter into contracts, § 13-3-20 .

Capacity of minors to apply for, receive, and repay educational loans, § 20-3-287 .

Age of majority, § 39-1-1 .

Editor’s notes.

Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 5-1/HB 242, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: “This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2014, and shall apply to all offenses which occur and juvenile proceedings commenced on and after such date. Any offense occurring before January 1, 2014, shall be governed by the statute in effect at the time of such offense and shall be considered a prior adjudication for the purpose of imposing a disposition that provides for a different penalty for subsequent adjudications, of whatever class, pursuant to this Act. The enactment of this Act shall not affect any prosecutions for acts occurring before January 1, 2014, and shall not act as an abatement of any such prosecutions.”

Law reviews.

For article recommending more consistency in age requirements of laws pertaining to the welfare of minors, see 6 Ga. St. B.J. 189 (1969).

For article on 2006 amendment of this Code section, see 23 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 79 (2006).