One-hundred new Georgia laws just went into effect on July 1 as part of the state legislature and Gov. Brian Kemp’s efforts to keep up with tax codes, cybersecurity, safety concerns and more.
The staff at AtlantaFi.com took the time to go through the 20 most significant laws taking effect. The full list can be found on the Georgia General Assembly’s website.
While over 100 new laws take effect on July 1, 2025, some of them are more impactful — according to public scrutiny and media coverage — than others.
Top 20 Laws That Went Into Effect in Georgia on July 1
Here are the top 20 new laws taking effect in Georgia on July 1, 2025:
| Bill Number | Law Title/Description | Key Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| HB 111 | Income Tax Cut | Lowers Georgia’s flat income tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19%, with plans to reach 4.99% by January 2026. | |
| HB 136 | Expanded Child Tax Credit | Increases child and dependent care tax credit and introduces a $250 credit per child under age 6. | |
| SB 55 | Fair Pay for People with Disabilities (Dignity and Pay Act) | Prohibits employers from paying individuals with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage. | |
| SB 79 | Fentanyl Eradication and Removal Act | Increases mandatory minimum sentences and fines for fentanyl trafficking, with penalties starting at 4 grams. | |
| SB 244 | Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act | Establishes compensation for wrongfully convicted individuals ($75,000 per year of imprisonment) and allows recovery of attorney fees if a prosecuting attorney is disqualified for misconduct. | |
| HB 175 | Enhanced Background Checks for Early Education | Requires comprehensive background checks, including fingerprint checks and searches of child abuse and sex offender registries, for early care and education programs. | |
| HB 208 | Specialty License Plates | Provides two free license plates for disabled veterans and introduces new specialty plates (e.g., Shepherd Center, Georgia Veterans Service Foundation, Southern University, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, black bass conservation). | |
| SB 1 | Riley Gaines Act of 2025 | Requires schools to designate sports teams as male, female, or co-ed based on biological sex at birth, banning transgender students from competing on teams not matching their birth gender. Also mandates gender-designated restrooms and changing areas. | |
| SB 17 | Ricky and Alyssa’s Law | Mandates mobile panic alert systems in all K-12 public schools, connecting directly to emergency services with real-time digital mapping. | |
| HB 428 | IVF Protection | Guarantees the right to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and defines it in Georgia law. | |
| HB 340 | Distraction-Free Education Act | Bans cellphone use by public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade during the school day. | |
| HB 582 | Georgia Survivor Justice Act | Allows domestic violence survivors to present evidence of abuse during sentencing, potentially reducing sentences, and permits resentencing for those already incarcerated. | |
| SB 241 | Human Composting Legalization | Legalizes organic human reduction (composting human remains into soil) as an eco-friendly burial alternative. | |
| HB 296 | Digital Driver’s Licenses | Legalizes digital driver’s licenses on smartphones, with a two-year preparation period for police to scan them. Physical licenses still required until July 2027. | |
| HB 266 | Military Retirement Tax Exemption | Exempts military veterans from paying income tax on retirement income. | |
| HB 53 | Veterans Cemetery Burial Eligibility | Expands eligibility for burial in Georgia’s veterans cemeteries. | |
| HB 156 | Vertiport Regulation | Allows the state to plan for future drone and air-taxi ports (“vertiports”). | |
| HB 164 | Heavier Trucks on Local Roads | Permits trucks up to 84,000 pounds (4,000 pounds heavier) on non-interstate roads. | |
| HB 233 | Official State Stew and Sugarcane Syrup Day | Designates Brunswick stew as Georgia’s official state stew and the fourth Friday in November as National Sugarcane Syrup Day. Also bans companies owned by certain foreign countries from state contracts. | |
| HB 454 | Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund Act | Creates a grant fund to preserve historic battlefields in Georgia. |
Final Word
Again, not all laws are alike. Some have sparked controversy and others have gone over quite well with the public.
Some laws, like the Riley Gaines Act, have sparked controversy, with supporters citing fairness in sports and critics warning of discrimination against transgender youth. Others, like IVF protection and wrongful conviction compensation, have broad bipartisan support.
Other laws taking effect include changes to judicial salaries (HB 85), simplified lien advertising for self-storage facilities (HB 131), and increased education funding (HB 371). These were not included in the top 20 due to lower public impact.
Here are more articles from AtlantaFi.com:
