House Bill 280 Campus Carry Legislation

Albany State University is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all members of the campus community. This includes promoting safety on campus and enforcing Georgia’s weapons on campus laws. The primary source of information related to the campus carry legislation is the guidance provided by the University System of Georgia, which can be reviewed by following the links listed below.

The campus carry laws in Georgia apply equally to all university system institutions. Albany State University does not have discretion to waive or change any of the requirements in the law. Enforcement of the law on campus will be the responsibility of the Albany State University Police Department and any suspected violations of the law should be reported.

Contacting Albany State University Police Department

Emergency Line: 229-430-4711
Non-Emergency Line: 229-430-0528
Administrative Line: 229-500-3088
Albany 911 Center: 9-1-1
Download the LiveSafe App

Please note: When placing a wireless 911 call in the vicinity of Albany State University, the call will go directly to the Albany 911 Center. Albany 911 will then contact the Albany State University Police Department Communications Division ensuring you receive the assistance you need.

Georgia House Bill 280

Cpl. Florence Veterans Day Celebration.

House Bill 280 establishes that anyone who is licensed to carry a handgun may do so – in a concealed manner only – anywhere on Georgia’s public college and university campuses, except in certain areas that are specifically listed in the law. Unlike “campus carry” laws in some other states, HB 280 does not give colleges and universities in Georgia discretion to prohibit handguns on their campuses or to add any additional exceptions to the ability to carry handguns beyond those already contained in the law.

Georgia Senate Bill 319, also known as “Constitutional Carry,” became effective on April 12, 2022, and made changes in the law by removing the phrase ‘weapons carry license holder’ and replacing it with ‘lawful weapons carrier.’ This did away with the weapons carry license requirement and now simply requires armed individuals to be lawful weapons carriers.

Georgia Senate Bill 319 did not make changes to the types of weapons allowed within a school safety zone. Handguns can legally be carried in a concealed manner by lawful weapons carriers within a school safety zone, with the exception of certain facilities such as athletic venues where intercollegiate sporting events are held; in student housing complexes; in faculty, staff and administrative offices; and in classrooms where dual-enrolled high school students are present.

- University System of Georgia HB 280 Campus Carry Video

Disclaimer: It is ultimately the responsibility of the individual to know the current laws applied to the specific locations they visit and functions in which they participate. This website is not an authoritative source of law, but is offered as a general invite for citizens to learn more of such laws at their authoritative source.

Please Note: As the "Constitutional Carry Act" (Senate Bill 319 of 2021) has been amended more recently, any specific mention of "weapons license requirements" in this video may no longer apply, however all other restrictions remain applicable.

HB 280 Campus Carry Gun Policy
- Georgia Senate Bill 319 Constitutional Carry Legislation
  - University System of Georgia Guidance on House Bill 280
  - - Georgia House Bill 792
- Electroshock Weapons
- Georgia House Bill 792 was signed by Governor Deal on May 3, 2016, which added the following paragraph to O.C.G.A §16-11-127.1, permitting possession of certain electroshock devices:
  “(19) Any person who is 18 years of age or older or currently enrolled in classes on the campus in question and carrying, possessing, or having under such person’s control an electroshock weapon while in or on any building or real property owned by or leased to such public technical school, vocational school, college or university or other public institution of postsecondary education; provided, however, that, if such person makes use of such electroshock weapon, such use shall be in defense of self or others. The exemption under this paragraph shall apply only to such person in regard to such electroshock weapon. As used in this paragraph, the term ‘electroshock weapon’ means any commercially available device that is powered by electrical charging units and designed exclusively to be capable of incapacitating a person by electrical charge, including, but not limited to, a stun gun or taser as defined in subsection (a) of Code 26 Section § 16-11-106.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Below you will find additional information in response to common topics of inquiries that members of the University System of Georgia community have posed.

What should I do if I see someone on campus with a handgun or other weapon?

Call the University Police at 229-430-4711, or report the incident through the LiveSafe app on your smartphone.

Remember: University System of Georgia guidance advises that students, faculty and staff should not attempt to monitor or enforce compliance with the statute.

Who qualifies as a lawful weapon carrier?

Senate Bill 319 establishes that a ‘Lawful weapons carrier’ means any person who is licensed or eligible for a license pursuant to O.C.G.A. 16-11-129 and:

who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing a weapon or long gun,
any resident of any other state who would otherwise be eligible to obtain a license pursuant to such Code section but for the residency requirement, and
any person licensed to carry a weapon in any other state.

Can non-law enforcement personnel inquire about whether an individual is a lawful weapon carrier?

No. According to the University System of Georgia guidance on the campus carry, “students, faculty, and staff should not attempt themselves to monitor or to enforce compliance with the statute by those who do carry handguns.”

Can we ask students or visitors if they are carrying, and if so, do they have to answer?

Where can handguns be carried?

Any lawful weapons carrier may carry a concealed handgun in any building or on real property owned by or leased to any public technical school, vocational school, college, or university, or other public institution of postsecondary education,with the restrictions noted in the following sections.

Where can handguns not be carried?

A lawful weapons carrier may not carry guns in the following areas:

Buildings or property used for athletic sporting events or student housing, including, but not limited to, fraternity and sorority houses;
Any preschool or childcare space located within such buildings or real property;
Any room or space being used for classes related to a college and career academy or other specialized school as provided for under Code Section 20-4-37;
Any room or space during the times when they are being used for classes in which high school students are enrolled, either through a dual-enrollment program, such as ‘Move on When Ready Act’ as provided for under Code Section 20-2-161.3 or a college and career academy or other specialized school as provided for under Code Section 20-4-37;
Faculty, staff or administrative offices;
Rooms during the times when they are being used to conduct disciplinary proceedings of any kind, including those related to students, faculty or staff.

Will the university post signage?

No. The University System of Georgia guidance indicates that signage is not to be posted. It is the responsibility of lawful weapons carriers who choose to carry handguns on campus to know the law and to understand where they can go while carrying.

Will campus police require registration of lawful weapons carriers?

No. According to the University System of Georgia guidance on the campus carry, the law does not give “individual institutions discretion to bar or further limit handguns on their campuses.”

Will the lawful weapons carriers have to have training to carry on campus?

No. The current state law does not require a lawful weapons carrier to complete training to receive a permit.

Can the university impose extra training requirements not established by state law?

No. According to the University System of Georgia guidance on the campus carry, the law does not give “individual institutions discretion to bar or further limit handguns on their campuses.”

Can lawful weapons carriers carry concealed handguns in laboratories on campus?

Laboratories are not specifically listed as one of the exceptions, however it could be prohibited if the particular space qualifies for any of the other specific exceptions, such as the lab having an "enrolled high school student" present.

Can lawful weapons carriers carry concealed handguns at summer camps on campus?

Summer camps are not specifically listed as one of the exceptions, however it could be prohibited if the particular space qualifies for any of the other specific exceptions, such as "childcare spaces", which include programs with children under 18 years of age located within an enclosed space limited to authorized people via a controlled access point (either monitored by personnel stationed at the door or controlled by an electronic mechanism.)

Can lawful weapons carriers carry concealed handguns in health centers and exam room on campus?

Health centers and their examination rooms are not specifically excepted from the general rule that lawful weapons carriers may carry concealed handguns on campus. However, there may be specific areas of those health centers that are prohibited if the particular space qualifies for any of the other specific exceptions, such as "faculty, staff and administrative offices."

Are handguns prohibited from athletic sporting event facilities at all times or only during the events?

Handguns are prohibited in buildings or property that are used for intercollegiate games at all times, not just during the events. Similarly, handguns are prohibited throughout the entire facility, not just those specific areas of the facility in which games are played. The same is true of student housing facilities; handguns are prohibited throughout the entire facilities, not only in the specific areas where students reside.

Do campus carry laws apply to off-campus field trips or work trips?

No. Campus carry related laws only apply “in any building or on real property owned by or leased to any public . . . college, or university . . . or other public institution of postsecondary education.” When students, faculty or staff leave campus for school-related activities, they will be governed by the weapons laws for those locations.

Do campus carry laws apply to property owned by USG institutions outside of Georgia?

No. The Georgia laws related to campus carry only apply within the state of Georgia. Locations that are owned or leased by University System of Georgia colleges and/or universities that are outside of Georgia jurisdiction will be governed by the local laws of the city, county, state and/or country in which those facilities stand.

Are faculty allowed to announce that someone in their classrooms might be armed?

No. According to the University System of Georgia guidance on the campus carry, the law does not give “individual institutions discretion to bar or further limit handguns on their campuses.”

Can faculty members ask students to identify themselves if they are carrying handguns or ask students who carry handguns to take different classes?

No. State law grants lawful weapons carriers the ability to carry handguns to public college and university classes (except those in which high school students are enrolled), and faculty members may not ask lawful weapons carriers to reveal that they are carrying concealed handguns or in any way discourage them from doing what they are legally allowed to do.

Are faculty members responsible for announcing to their classes that guns are (or are not) prohibited because high school students are (or are not) enrolled?

No. It is the responsibility of those who choose to carry handguns on campus to make themselves aware of where and when they can do so. They can learn which of their classes include high school students by asking the registrar, as can faculty members and their classmates. In fact, the University System of Georgia does not recommend that faculty members make announcements in class because it may lead to confusion among students resulting from inconsistencies between different professors different classes.

May faculty members provide information about HB 280 in their course syllabi?

Yes. Faculty members can provide information by linking to the University System of Georgia guidance at the usg.edu website.

If USG institutions will not be providing storage lockers, where can license- holders store their handguns while they go to places on campus where handguns are prohibited?

It is the responsibility of those who choose to carry handguns on campus to make arrangements for the proper and safe storage of those guns. Current law already allows for the securing of guns in parked cars. License-holders can also make arrangements for storage off-campus.

If a student or employee violates the provisions of HB 280, may the institution treat that conduct as a violation of its student code of conduct or personnel rules?

Yes. The immediate situation should be handled by law enforcement, but afterwords the conduct may be treated as a violation of the student code of conduct or the personnel rules. That process should then be handled in the same manner as any other student or employee misconduct case would be handled.

What is an allowable Electroshock Weapon?

Any commercially available device designed exclusively to incapacitate a person by electrical charge. This includes "stun guns" and "tasers" as defined in O.C.G.A. § 16-11-106.

Who can have an electroshock weapon on campus?