GA HB162

Courts must automatically restrict and seal criminal records for First Offender Act defendants at the time of sentencing, with records remaining sealed unless first offender status is revoked and the defendant is adjudicated guilty

Georgia Bureau of Investigation prohibited from disclosing arrest, charge, or sentence records for first offenders who have completed active probation supervision or been exonerated and discharged

Individuals sentenced under the First Offender Act prior to July 1, 2026, may petition the court to seal their records if they have not had their sentence revoked

Sealed records remain accessible to criminal justice agencies, prosecuting attorneys, public defenders, judges, the Judicial Qualifications Commission, and for firearm transfer determinations or federally required disclosures

Law enforcement agencies, jails, and detention centers must comply with restriction orders within 30 days; clerks of court must seal documents within 60 days of court orders or exoneration