Official English Law in Georgia

OFFICIAL GEORGIA CODE
SECTION 50-3-100: OFFICIAL LANGUAGE (1996)

(a) The English language is designated as the official language of the State of Georgia. The official language shall be the language used for each public record, as defined in Code Section 50-18-70, and each public meeting, as defined in Code Section 50-14-1, and for official Acts of the State of Georgia, including those governmental documents, records, meetings, actions, or policies which are enforceable with the full weight and authority of the State of Georgia.

(b) This Code section shall not be construed in any way to deny a person’s rights under the Constitution of Georgia or the Constitution of the United States or any laws, statutes, or regulations of the United States or of the State of Georgia as a result of that person’s inability to communicate in the official language.

(c) State agencies, counties, municipal corporations, and political subdivisions of this state are authorized to use or to print official documents and forms in languages other than the official language, at the discretion of their governing authorities. Documents filed or recorded with a state agency or with the clerk of a county, municipal corporation, or political subdivision must be in the official language or, if the original document is in a language other than the official language, an English translation of the document must be simultaneously filed.

(d) The provisions of subsection (a) of this Code section shall not apply:

• (1) When in conflict with federal law;
• (2) When the public safety, health, or justice require the use of other languages;
• (3) To instruction designed to teach the speaking, reading, or writing of foreign languages;
• (4) To instruction designed to aid students with limited English proficiency in their transition and integration into the education system of the state; and
• (5) To the promotion of international commerce, tourism, sporting events, or cultural events.

LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN GEORGIA

6,843,038	English
751,438	All languages other than English combined
426,115	Spanish or Spanish Creole
43,428	French (incl. Patois, Cajun)
32,777	German
27,671	Vietnamese
25,814	Korean
24,752	African languages
23,812	Chinese
11,133	Gujarathi
8,557	Arabic
8,257	Japanese
7,596	Hindi
7,308	Tagalog
7,175	Russian
7,109	Urdu
6,915	Portuguese or Portuguese Creole
5,827	Italian
5,745	Serbo-Croatian
5,482	Persian
5,178	Laotian
4,963	French Creole
3,546	Mon-Khmer, Cambodian
3,322	Greek
2,869	Hebrew
2,775	Polish
2,658	Thai
1,895	Scandinavian languages
1,360	Miao, Hmong
1,146	Other Native North American languages
852	Hungarian
496	Yiddish
246	Armenian
173	Navajo