§ 19-13A-6.Penalty for violation of order
Chapter 13A. Dating Violence Protective Orders · Last amended 2021 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-13A-6
Plain-English Summary
This section gives a dating-violence protective order its teeth. A violation of any order issued under Chapter 13A may be punished in two ways. The court may hold the violator in contempt in an action for contempt, or the violation may be punished criminally as provided in Article 7 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 — the part of Georgia’s criminal code that deals with stalking.
The choice between the two routes isn’t spelled out here; “may” leaves room for either. A contempt action asks a court to enforce its order; a criminal case is brought under the criminal statutes, with their own elements and penalties. Because § 19-13A-4 makes these orders effective throughout Georgia and requires every sheriff, deputy and state, county or municipal officer to enforce them, a violation anywhere in the state can draw a response.
The wording matches § 19-13-6, which provides the same two routes for violating a family-violence protective order. The section has not been amended since 2021.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if someone violates a dating violence protective order in Georgia?
The violation may be punished by an action for contempt in court, or criminally as provided in Article 7 of Chapter 5 of Title 16, the criminal code’s stalking article. The penalty in a given case depends on which route is used and on the judge or prosecutor.
Can I file contempt for a protective order violation in Georgia?
Yes. This section says a violation of an order issued under the dating-violence chapter may be punished by an action for contempt. Whether a violation is proved and what sanction follows are up to the judge. The violation may instead be punished criminally, since the section allows either route.
Is violating a protective order a crime in Georgia?
It can be. Under this section, violating a dating-violence protective order may be punished criminally as provided in Article 7 of Chapter 5 of Title 16. Whether charges are brought is up to law enforcement and prosecutors. Contempt in court remains a separate option for the same violation.
Will police enforce a dating violence protective order from another Georgia county?
Yes. Under § 19-13A-4, these orders are effective throughout Georgia, and every sheriff, deputy sheriff and state, county or municipal law enforcement officer has a duty to enforce a valid order. This section supplies the punishment for violating it: contempt or criminal prosecution.
Is the penalty for violating a dating violence order the same as a family violence order in Georgia?
The routes are the same. Section 19-13-6 uses the same wording for family-violence orders: an action for contempt, or criminal punishment as provided in Article 7 of Chapter 5 of Title 16. The sanction in any given case depends on the route taken and the facts.
Amendment History
Laws 2021, Act 273, § 2, eff. July 1, 2021.