Georgia allows open carry by any person 21+ legally permitted to own a firearm (since HB 1013 in 2022). Here’s exactly where it’s legal and where it isn’t.
Where Open Carry Is Legal
- Public sidewalks, parks, and streets (non-K12 school zones)
- Private property where the owner permits
- Hunting land with proper licenses
- Your own vehicle (holstered or otherwise)
- Most retail establishments that don’t post no-firearms signs
Where Open Carry Is Illegal
- Schools: K-12 campuses, within 1,000 ft of schools (federal GFSZA exemption for GWL holders)
- Federal property: post offices, VA facilities, federal courthouses, military bases
- Bars while drinking
- Places of worship unless authorized by leadership
- Polling places on election days
- Mental institutions and penal facilities
- Posted private property
Practical Advice
Open carry is legal but socially unusual in most of Georgia. Many business owners don’t post no-firearms signs simply because they’ve never had an issue — but they can ask you to leave at any time. Refusing constitutes trespass. Most Georgia gun owners carry concealed for this reason.