Georgia Violence in the Workplace: What you need to know

Georgia employers may prohibit possession of firearms on their property so long as the employer owns the property or has legal control of the property.

However, state law prohibits any employer from conditioning employment upon any agreement by a prospective employee that prohibits an employee from entering the parking lot when the employee’s privately owned motor vehicle contains a firearm or ammunition, or both, that is locked out of sight within the trunk, glove box, or other enclosed compartment or area within such privately owned motor vehicle, provided that any applicable employees possess a Georgia firearms license (GA Code Sec. 16-11-135).

Secured parking lot exception. Employers may continue to conduct searches to ban concealed weapons from vehicles if they provide a secure parking lot that restricts public access through the use of a security gate, security station, and/or security officers. The policy allowing searches must apply to all vehicles and be used on a uniform and frequent basis.

The ban on searches does not apply to:

• Searches by law enforcement officers with valid search warrants, searches based on probable cause under exigent circumstances, and searches consented to by employees based on probable cause that employee unlawfully possesses company property;
• Searches of locked vehicles to prevent a reasonable and immediate threat to human life, safety, and health;
• Vehicles owned or leased by an employer; or
• When an employee consents to a search of his or her locked privately owned vehicle by licensed private security officers for loss prevention purposes based on probable cause that the employee unlawfully possesses employer property

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