2025 Georgia Codes – Page 141

(a) A person commits the offense of harassing communications if such person:
(1) Contacts another person repeatedly via telecommunication, e-mail, text messaging, or any other form of
electronic communication for the purpose of harassing, molesting, threatening, or intimidating such person
or the family of such person;
(2) Threatens bodily harm via telecommunication, e-mail, text messaging, or any other form of electronic
communication;
(3) Telephones another person and intentionally fails to hang up or disengage the connection; or
(4) Knowingly permits any device used for telecommunication, e-mail, text messaging, or any other form of
electronic communication under such person’s control to be used for any purpose prohibited by this subsec-
tion.
(b) Any person who commits the offense of harassing communications shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(c) The offense of harassing communications shall be considered to have been committed in the county
where:
(1) The defendant was located when he or she placed the telephone call or transmitted, sent, or posted an
electronic communication; or
(2) The telephone call or electronic communication was received.
(d) Any violation of this Code section shall constitute a separate offense and shall not merge with any other
crimes set forth in this title.
(e) This Code section shall not apply to constitutionally protected speech.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) “Call” shall have the same meaning as set forth in paragraph (2.1) of Code Section 46-5-122.
(2) “False report” means the fabrication of an incident or crime or of material information relating to an inci-
dent or crime which the person making the report knows to be false at the time of making the report.
(3) “Harass” means to knowingly and willingly engage in any conduct directed toward a communications
officer that is likely to impede or interfere with such communications officer’s duties, that threatens such
communication officer or any member of his or her family, or that places any member of the public served
or to be served by 9-1-1 service in danger of injury or delayed assistance.
(4) “Harassing” means the willful use of opprobrious and abusive language which has no legitimate purpose
in relation to imparting information relevant to an emergency call.
(5) “9-1-1” means a public safety answering point as defined in paragraph (15) of Code Section 46-5-122.
The term “9-1-1” also means the digits, address, Internet Protocol address, or other information used to
access or initiate a call to a public safety answering point.
(b) A person commits the offense of unlawful conduct during a 9-1-1 telephone call if he or she:
(1) Without provocation, uses obscene, vulgar, or profane language with the intent to intimidate or harass a