§ 19-13-50.Short title
Chapter 13. Family Violence · Article 4. Protective Order Registry · Last amended 2015 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-13-50
Plain-English Summary
This section gives Article 4 of Chapter 13 its short title: the “Protective Order Registry Act.” Lawyers, judges and legislators use that name to refer to the whole article, §§ 19-13-50 through 19-13-56, without listing every section.
The article sets up the Georgia Protective Order Registry, a statewide, centralized database of protective orders. Section 19-13-51 defines the key terms, including what counts as a “protective order” — no-contact orders from Georgia judges, orders under the family violence chapter and under Article 7 of Chapter 5 of Title 16, certain military orders, and orders from other states, territories and tribal courts. Section 19-13-52 creates the registry, puts the Georgia Crime Information Center in charge of it, and links it to the national crime database. Section 19-13-53 requires standardized order forms and short deadlines for getting orders into the registry. Section 19-13-54 lets a person with an out-of-state order file it here for free. Section 19-13-55 keeps registry information confidential, and § 19-13-56 shields officials from liability for registry delays and errors.
If you have a protective order, the registry is what lets an officer in another county, at any hour, confirm that the order exists. But entry in the registry is not required before an order can be enforced. The section was last amended in 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Georgia Protective Order Registry Act?
It is the name of Article 4 of Chapter 13 of Title 19, the sections that create and run Georgia’s statewide database of protective orders. The article covers definitions, how orders get into the registry, out-of-state orders, confidentiality and official immunity.
Which sections make up the Protective Order Registry Act?
Sections 19-13-50 through 19-13-56. Section 19-13-50 is the short title. The others define terms (§ 19-13-51), create the registry (§ 19-13-52), set forms and filing deadlines (§ 19-13-53), handle foreign protective orders (§ 19-13-54), protect confidentiality (§ 19-13-55) and limit officials’ liability (§ 19-13-56).
Is my protective order in a statewide database in Georgia?
It should be. Under § 19-13-53, the clerk of the court that issued the order must transmit it to the registry by the end of the next business day after it is filed, and the Georgia Crime Information Center must enter it within 24 hours of receiving it.
Does a protective order have to be in the registry to be enforced?
Who runs the Georgia protective order registry?
The Georgia Crime Information Center maintains it, under § 19-13-52. The registry is linked to the National Crime Information Center Network, so orders entered in Georgia are transmitted to the national system immediately. The state’s family violence commission may consult with the center about how well the registry protects victims.
Amendment History
Laws 2001, p. 101, § 1; Laws 2015, Act 222, § 1, eff. July 1, 2015.