All Laws Decoded

Jaywalking Laws in Georgia

How Georgia law treats jaywalking: what is illegal, whether it is a misdemeanor or felony, and the penalties, from the state code.

Short answer: A pedestrian crossing outside a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection must yield to all vehicles; O.C.G.A. §§ 40-6-92, 40-6-1(a)

JaywalkingA pedestrian crossing outside a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection must yield to all vehicles; between adjacent signal-controlled intersections, pedestrians may cross only in a marked crosswalk, and they may not cross an intersection diagonally unless traffic-control devices allow it. The pedestrian section states no penalty of its own; violations of Georgia's rules of the road are misdemeanors unless the chapter provides otherwise.
Default misdemeanor rule: https://codes.findlaw.com/ga/title-40-motor-vehicles-and-traffic/ga-code-sect-40-6-1/. Unless a statute says otherwise, a misdemeanor is punished by up to 12 months and a $1,000 fine, and a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature by up to 12 months and a $5,000 fine (O.C.G.A. §§ 17-10-3, 17-10-4). Read on codes.findlaw.com (a public copy of the official code); check against the official code.
Source: O.C.G.A. §§ 40-6-92, 40-6-1(a)

More Georgia criminal law

FAQ

Is jaywalking illegal in Georgia?
A pedestrian crossing outside a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection must yield to all vehicles; between adjacent signal-controlled intersections, pedestrians may cross only in a marked crosswalk, and they may not cross an intersection diagonally unless traffic-control devices allow it. The pedestrian section states no penalty of its own; violations of Georgia's rules of the road are misdemeanors unless the chapter provides otherwise.
Can I get a court-appointed lawyer for jaywalking in Georgia?
Georgia's rule on court-appointed lawyers: Applicants must complete and sign an application and verification and are interviewed at the detention center or the public defender's office. Income standards under O.C.G.A. § 17-12-2, as stated by the public defender office: for misdemeanors, probation violations and county or municipal offenses, a person who 'earns less than 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines'; for juveniles, those 'whose parents earn less than 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines'; for felonies, 'less than 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines' — each with an exception for people with other resources that could reasonably pay for a lawyer, and no one with income above 150 percent of the federal poverty level is considered indigent. Application fee: Georgia law requires every person who applies for public defense services 'to pay the Public Defender Office a single fee of $50'; 'The court shall waive this fee if it finds that you are unable to pay the fee or that hardship will result if the fee is charged.' Attorney fees for court-appointed representation may also be imposed by the court at sentencing. O.C.G.A. §§ 15-21A-6(b), 17-12-2 (as quoted by the Chatham County Public Defender Office, Eastern Judicial Circuit)
How much does a lawyer for jaywalking cost in Georgia?
Lawyers set their own fees, and Georgia has rules on how they may charge. See hiring a criminal defense lawyer in Georgia for fee rules, how to check a lawyer's license and free help.
Can a conviction for jaywalking be removed from my record in Georgia?
Each state sets its own rules for sealing or expunging records. See Georgia expungement and record sealing rules.

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.