Georgia Civil-Rights Filing Deadlines
Georgia civil-rights deadlines: the federal Section 1983 statute of limitations borrows Georgia's 2 years personal-injury deadline (Wilson v. Garcia) and a state notice-of-claim window of about 365 days. Georgia sits in the 11th Cir. (N.D./M.D./S.D. Georgia). General reference only — confirm every deadline with a licensed attorney.
- Federal Section 1983 statute of limitations: 2 years (borrowed personal-injury SOL under Wilson v. Garcia).
- Most state-law claims against government defendants require a notice of claim within roughly 365 days of the incident.
- Body-camera and dashcam footage is often overwritten in about 30 days — send a written preservation request as early as possible.
- Federal district court: N.D./M.D./S.D. Georgia.
- Federal circuit: 11th Cir..
- Tort Claims Act: O.C.G.A. § 50-21-20 et seq. (GTCA).
- State-law damage cap: $1M per person / $3M per occurrence (GTCA, state liability only) (Section 1983 claims are not subject to state caps).
- Ga. Code §50-21-26 requires Tort Claims Act notice within 12 months.
- Legal-aid hub: Georgia Legal Services Program (https://www.glsp.org).
- ACLU affiliate: https://www.acluga.org.
This page is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Use the interactive calculator at https://manalegalai.org/deadlines and find help at https://manalegalai.org/resources.