Obtained from http://www.ganet.org/ Any person or entity who relies on information obtained solely from this Site does so at his or her own risk. State of Georgia Code: 45-3-1 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-1. Every public officer shall: (1) Take the oath of office; (2) Take any oath prescribed by the Constitution of Georgia; (3) Swear that he or she is not the holder of any unaccounted for public money due this state or any political subdivision or authority thereof; (4) Swear that he or she is not the holder of any office of trust under the government of the United States, any other state, or any foreign state which he or she is by the laws of the State of Georgia prohibited from holding; (5) Swear that he or she is otherwise qualified to hold said office according to the Constitution and laws of Georgia; (6) Swear that he or she will support the Constitution of the United States and of this state; and (7) If elected by any circuit or district, swear that he or she has been a resident thereof for the time required by the Constitution and laws of this state. 45-3-2 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-2. The form of the oath prescribed in Code Section 45-3-1 and the oath of office to be taken and subscribed shall be forwarded with the dedimus potestatem and shall be taken and subscribed at the time of receiving the commission before the officer to whom the same is directed and in conformity with any directions. 45-3-3 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-3. When not otherwise provided by law and when not directed in the dedimus potestatem, the oaths of office may be taken before any officer authorized by law to administer an oath. Such oaths shall be written and subscribed by the persons taking them and accompanied by the certificate of such officer, which shall specify the day and year taken. 45-3-4 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-4. The oaths prescribed in Code Section 45-3-1, when taken by an officer whose general duties are not confined to any one county unless otherwise specially provided, shall be filed with the certificate required by Code Section 45-3-3 in the office of the Governor and, when taken by an officer whose duties are confined to one county, shall be filed as provided in Code Section 45-3-5. 45-3-5 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-5. When taken by the judges of the probate courts and the clerks of the superior courts, official oaths shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the superior court and also entered on the minutes of the court. When taken by sheriffs, the oaths shall be filed in the office of the judge of the probate court and shall be entered on the minutes of the superior courts; and when taken by coroners, tax collectors, tax receivers, county treasurers, magistrates, constables, or any other county officers, they shall be filed in the office of the judge of the probate court, who shall enter them on the minutes of his court. 45-3-6 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-6. The officer in whose office the oaths prescribed in Code Section 45-3-1 are filed must endorse thereon the day and year of filing. 45-3-7 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-7. Before proceeding to act, all deputies shall take the same oaths as their principals take and the oaths shall be filed and entered on the minutes of the same office with the same endorsement thereon; but this Code section shall not apply to any deputy who may be employed in particular cases only. A deputy sheriff may take his oaths before the sheriff and the oaths may be filed in and entered in the records of the sheriff's office. 45-3-8 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-8. No officer or deputy required by law to take and file the oaths prescribed in Code Section 45-3-1 shall enter upon the duties of his office without first taking and filing the same in the proper office. 45-3-9 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-9. Any officer or deputy required by law to take and file an official oath who shall enter upon the duties of his office without first taking and filing the same in the proper office shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. 45-3-10 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-10. The official acts of an officer shall be valid regardless of his omission to take and file the oath, except in cases where so specially declared. 45-3-10.1 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-10.1. (a) Code Sections 45-3-1 through 45-3-10 shall apply to all municipal corporations and to all peace officers of this state or any political subdivision or authority thereof. (b) When taken by municipal officers, official oaths shall be filed in the office of the judge of the probate court. When taken by peace officers, official oaths shall be filed in the records of such department or agency. 45-3-11 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-11. All persons who are employed by and are on the payroll of the state and are the recipients of wages, per diem, or salary of the state or its departments and agencies, with the exception of pages employed by the General Assembly; and all counties and cities, school districts and local educational systems throughout the entire state, are required to take an oath that they will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Georgia, and that they are not members of the Communist Party. 45-3-12 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-12. The loyalty oath required by Code Section 45-3-11, this Code section, and Code Sections 45-3-13 through 45-3-15 shall apply to all elected officers of this state, including the Governor, constitutional officers, elected officials of any political subdivision of the government of Georgia, and local school board officials. 45-3-13 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-13. The oath prescribed in Code Section 45-3-11 shall be in the following form: "I, _________________ (Name) a citizen of ______________ and being an employee of ______________ and the recipient of public funds for services rendered as such employee, do hereby solemnly swear and affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Georgia, and that I am not a member of the Communist Party." 45-3-14 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-14. If any person required by Code Sections 45-3-11 through 45-3-13, this Code section, and Code Section 45-3-15 to execute a loyalty oath fails to sign said oath, then the governing authority under whom such person is employed shall cause such person's name to be taken from the payroll and such person shall not be permitted to receive any payment from the state. 45-3-15 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-15. If any person required to do so by Code Sections 45-3-11 through 45-3-14 and this Code section executes a loyalty oath and subsequently it is proved that said individual has violated the oath, then the governing authority shall institute proceedings in the proper court against such person for false swearing. 45-3-16 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-16. This article shall apply to the oaths of office of all public officers of this state unless the contrary is expressly provided. 45-3-30 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-30. The commissions of the following officers shall have annexed thereto the great seal of the state, and shall be signed by the Governor and countersigned by the Secretary of State, namely: senators and representatives in Congress; Justices of the Supreme Court; Judges of the Court of Appeals, superior courts, and juvenile courts; the Attorney General; district attorneys; reporters of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals; the Secretary of State; the Commissioner of Insurance; and all military officers of the grade of general. The commissions of all federal and judicial officers enumerated above shall be on parchment. 45-3-31 G *** CODE SECTION *** 09/12/00 45-3-31. The commissions of all other civil officers, except constables and clerks of magistrate courts, of the state or county shall be under the seal of the office of the Governor, signed by the Governor, and countersigned by one of his secretaries. All officers of the militia of the grade of lieutenant or higher shall have commissions under the seal of the office of the Governor.