(1) Depositions and other original discovery material shall not be filed with the court unless or until required by the provisions of OCGA § 9-11-29.1(a) (1)-(5). (2) A party serving Interrogatories, Requests for Production of Documents, Requests for Admission and Answers or responses thereto upon counsel, a party or a non-party shall file with the court a certificate indicating the pleading which was served, the date of service (or that the same has been delivered for service with the summons) and the persons served.
Rule 5.2.Filing Requirements
Rule 5. DISCOVERY IN CIVIL ACTIONS · Last amended 1992 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceRule 5.2 keeps depositions and other original discovery material out of the Georgia court file unless a specific statute requires filing, but requires any party serving interrogatories, document requests, admission requests, or responses to file a certificate telling the court what was served, when, and on whom.
Full Text of Rule 5.2
Plain-English Summary
Rule 5.2 keeps the raw material of discovery out of the court file. Depositions and other original discovery documents don’t get filed with the court unless a specific statutory provision requires it — Georgia law lists the narrow situations where filing is required, and outside those, the paperwork stays between the parties.
What does go to the court is a record that discovery happened. Any party serving interrogatories, requests for production of documents, requests for admission, or the answers and responses to any of those, must file a certificate with the court. That certificate identifies which pleading was served, the date it was served — or that it was delivered along with the summons for service — and who was served. Courts get a paper trail of the discovery process without being buried in the discovery itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must a party file a deposition transcript with the court?
Not unless filing is required under OCGA § 9-11-29.1(a)(1)-(5).
What must a party file after serving interrogatories or requests for production?
A certificate indicating which pleading was served, the date of service (or that it was delivered for service with the summons), and the persons served.
Does the certificate requirement apply to responses as well as the original requests?
Yes. It covers interrogatories, requests for production of documents, requests for admission, and the answers or responses to any of them.
Why does the rule keep depositions and other discovery material out of the court file?
Filing is limited to the situations required by statute, which keeps routine discovery paperwork from cluttering the court’s docket.
Does the filing-requirements rule cover requests for admission?
Yes. Requests for admission and their answers or responses are included along with interrogatories and production requests.
Amendment History
Adopted effective November 12, 1992.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Uniform Superior Court Rules, published by the
Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
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