State legislators in Georgia have taken decisive action to nullify a local gun safety ordinance in the city of Savannah, setting a significant precedent for state authority over firearm regulations.
State Senate Passes Preemption Bill
On Tuesday, 13 January 2026, the Georgia State Senate gave its final approval to Senate Bill 204. This legislation explicitly aims to void a Savannah city ordinance that imposed fines or even jail time on individuals who left firearms in unlocked vehicles. The bill now awaits the signature or veto of Governor Brian Kemp.
The core of the new state law is a powerful preemption clause. It asserts that cities and counties cannot regulate how guns are stored. Furthermore, it grants gun owners the right to sue local governments that enact any such rules in violation of state law. Successful plaintiffs would be entitled to collect at least $25,000 in damages.
Savannah's Ordinance and the Clash of Perspectives
The now-threatened Savannah ordinance was passed unanimously by Mayor Van Johnson and the city council in 2024. It outlawed keeping guns in unlocked vehicles, with maximum penalties of a $1,000 fine and 30 days in jail. Mayor Johnson, a Democrat and former police officer, championed the measure as a way to promote responsible gun ownership without infringing on rights. He cited data showing a 30% drop in reported gun thefts from unlocked vehicles since the law took effect.
"It’s a sad thing that the General Assembly says over 200 guns stolen from unlocked vehicles is OK," Johnson remarked.
However, gun rights advocates argued the city was effectively punishing victims of crime. Colton Moore, a former state senator and Republican from Trenton, told The Associated Press: "Their car was getting broken into, and they were going from a victim of a crime now to being a criminal." Moore resigned from the Senate on the same day the bill passed to run for a vacant congressional seat.
Legal Implications and Future Enforcement
Mayor Johnson stated that if Governor Kemp signs the bill, Savannah will cease issuing citations under the ordinance. "Obviously we’re going to comply with the law," he confirmed. He hinted that the city might consider other types of gun safety measures but declined to provide specifics.
The state's move closes a perceived loophole. While Georgia law already prohibited local governments from regulating firearm possession, ownership, and carrying, it did not explicitly mention "storage." Savannah officials had insisted their ordinance regulated storage, not possession. Senate Bill 204 explicitly adds the word 'storage' to the existing state preemption law, leaving no room for local interpretation.
Gun control advocates condemned the legislature's action. Nolan Tanner, a volunteer with the Savannah chapter of Students Demand Action, said the bill "takes it a step further by actually punishing the cities that are stepping up to protect us when our state lawmakers won’t."
The legal groundwork for the state's intervention was partly laid in November, when a Chatham County Recorder’s Court judge threw out a case under the Savannah ordinance, ruling it violated state law. However, that ruling applied only to that specific defendant.
