Georgia

Legal Status of official English in Georgia

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