Georgia Court Rules Guide
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Overview
Georgia state courts operate under the Georgia Civil Practice Act (O.C.G.A. Title 9), Uniform Superior Court Rules, and circuit-level local rules. Georgia has 49 judicial circuits with Superior Courts as the courts of general jurisdiction, plus State Courts, Magistrate Courts, Probate Courts, and Juvenile Courts at the county level.
Important: Georgia's mail service extension is 5 calendar days — unlike the 3-day extension used in many other states. This distinction is critical for deadline calculations when service is by mail.
Georgia Civil Practice Act (O.C.G.A. Title 9)
Key Code Sections
- • O.C.G.A. § 9-11-6: Computation of time
- • O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4: Service of process
- • O.C.G.A. § 9-11-12: Defenses and objections
- • O.C.G.A. § 9-11-56: Summary judgment
- • O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38: Notice of appeal
Key Deadlines
- • 30 days: Answer to complaint
- • 30 days: Motion to dismiss response
- • +5 days: Mail service extension
- • 30 days: Notice of appeal
- • 30 days: Discovery responses
Service Method Extensions
| Service Method | Additional Time | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Service (Sheriff/Process Server) | None | O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4 |
| Acknowledgment of Service | None | O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4(d) |
| Mail Service | +5 calendar days | O.C.G.A. § 9-11-6(e) |
| Publication Service | Varies | O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4(f) |
Uniform Superior Court Rules
Key Uniform Rules
- • Rule 4.1: Pre-trial scheduling and calendaring
- • Rule 6.4: Motion practice and briefing schedules
- • Rule 7.2: Continuances and time extensions
- • Rule 9.1: Discovery procedures
- • Rule 10.1: Case management conferences
Motion Practice
- • Responses to motions: typically 30 days
- • Reply briefs: typically 14 days after response
- • Oral argument upon request (court's discretion)
- • Summary judgment: 30 days to respond under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-56(c)
Electronic Filing in Georgia
Odyssey eFile Georgia
- • Statewide e-filing through Odyssey/Tyler
- • Superior and State Courts in many counties
- • Filing deadline: 11:59 PM on due date
- • PDF format required
- • Technical failure — document and report immediately
County-Specific Systems
- • Fulton County: eFileGA portal
- • Gwinnett County: separate filing system
- • Cobb County: electronic filing available
- • DeKalb County: check local requirements
- • Always verify local county requirements
Georgia Statutes of Limitations
Personal Injury
- • General negligence: 2 years
- • Medical malpractice: 2 years
- • Wrongful death: 2 years
- • Products liability: 2 years
Contract Disputes
- • Written contracts: 6 years
- • Oral contracts: 4 years
- • UCC sales: 4 years
- • Specialty contracts: varies
Real Property
- • Ejectment: 20 years
- • Adverse possession: 20 years
- • Quiet title: 7–20 years (varies)
- • Dispossessory: 7-day demand
Key County Local Rules
Fulton County (Atlanta)
- • Complex litigation division
- • Business court (State Court)
- • Mandatory mediation programs
- • Strict case management conferences
- • Electronic filing through eFileGA
Gwinnett / Cobb / DeKalb
- • Differentiated case management
- • Alternative dispute resolution programs
- • Specific scheduling order requirements
- • Local rule variations — always verify
- • E-filing systems may differ
Official Resources
Calculate Georgia Deadlines Now
Use our free calculator to compute court deadlines under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-6 and Georgia Superior Court Rules.
Open Georgia Calculator