Georgia school drill law

Which drills does Georgia require, and how often?

What does the school safety law require?

Every public school must hold drills with students and staff on carrying out its school safety plan. Those drills are held at intervals based on guidance from GEMA/HS (the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency). That subsection names no specific drill types, such as reunification, earthquake or shelter-in-place drills; it leaves the form and intervals of safety plan drills to GEMA/HS guidance. By October 1 of each school year, every public school must hold an intruder alert drill. The statute defines an intruder alert drill as a set of procedures designed to familiarize building occupants with what to do in an intruder alert. All students must take part in intruder alert drills. A school system or public school governing body may let a parent or guardian opt a child out of intruder alert drills in writing. This is allowed, not required.

Are there limits on realistic drills?

The safety plan drill subsection, O.C.G.A. § 20-2-1185(e)(1), sets no limits on how realistic drills may be: nothing on simulated gunfire, role-played attackers or props. The intruder alert drill paragraph's participation rule sets no such limits either; its only accommodation is the optional written parent opt-out. Its definition of an intruder alert drill describes procedures that teach building occupants ways to protect themselves from an armed intruder, and sets no rule on simulated gunfire, role-played attackers or props.

What about cardiac emergency drills?

Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, each public K-12 school must hold at least two cardiac emergency action plan practice drills each school year, with at least one each semester. One of the two may be a tabletop drill (a walk-through discussion). This is allowed, not required.

What are the fire drill rules?

The Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire (OCI) says every K-12 school in Georgia, public or private, must hold fire drills. OCI says educational occupancies must follow Chapter 4, Section 4.7.2, as stated in the Safety Fire Commissioner's rule 120-3-3. That fire safety rule adopts the 2024 International Fire Code (IFC) as a Georgia state minimum fire safety standard. Under the rule's version of the Life Safety Code, emergency evacuation and relocation drills are held as Chapter 4 of the adopted IFC specifies. The adopted IFC requires evacuation drills at the intervals in its drill table, or more often where needed so everyone knows the procedure. Under the adopted IFC, lockdown drills follow the approved plan, may not be substituted for the required fire and evacuation drills, and are designed in cooperation with local authorities. The fire safety rule repeats the October 1 intruder alert drill for every public school in its chapters for new and existing school buildings. Per OCI, under Table 405.2, fire drills in educational occupancies are to be carried out monthly, involving all occupants. OCI's 2026-2027 drill schedule lists a fire drill as required every month during the school year, with everyone taking part. The schedule places one fire drill in the first 10 days of school and another in the first 30 days, counting instructional days.

Can one drill stand in for another?

OCI's 2026-2027 schedule says the September fire drill may be replaced by the intruder alert drill, but only if the first two fire drills are done. The schedule also says a severe weather drill can substitute for November's fire drill and for February's fire drill. It says one of its AED drills can be substituted for April's fire drill.

Do drills need to be reported?

Each school system or public school governing body must promptly report completed intruder alert drills to GEMA/HS. GEMA/HS guidance says schools report them online through a link from their Area Homeland Security Coordinator. OCI's School Reports page links the GEMA/HS reporting form for the intruder alert drill. OCI says every school must report fire drills to the OCI reporting system.

What does state guidance recommend?

GEMA/HS guidance encourages fire protocols in which staff and students practice fire drills and evacuation at least once a month, including alternate routes. For tornadoes, GEMA/HS guidance says staff and students should practice severe weather drills at least twice a year; it calls these drills mandatory but cites no law for that. This is a recommendation in guidance.

Are school bus drills required?

State law has the State Board of Education require, monitor and fund a program of safety instruction in safe riding and emergency bus evacuation drills for bus drivers and for students who ride school buses, as the State Charter Schools Commission summarizes it. A State Board of Education rule requires local school systems to make sure students get instruction each year in safe riding practices and emergency evacuation; the rule sets no drill count.

What role does law enforcement play?

Public school safety plans must provide for coordination with local law enforcement agencies and the local juvenile court system.

Who is covered?

The intruder alert and safety plan drill duties apply to every public school. For the cardiac drill law, a school is a Georgia public school that provides K-12 education. The State Charter Schools Commission says each state charter school must hold an intruder alert drill by October 1 each school year. OCI says fire drills apply to every K-12 school, public or private.

What has changed recently?

HB 268 (2025) revised subsections (a) and (c) of the school safety law; the drill rules sit in subsection (e). SB 148 (2026) removed the licensed-physician requirement for school AED programs, and renumbered the cardiac drill paragraph. SB 148 (Act 398) took effect July 1, 2026, per the bill page. SB 61, as passed by the Senate, says each public school must have performed a site assessment by June 1 of each year. SB 61 was not enacted: its last action was a favorable House committee report by substitute on March 27, 2026, with no House vote or signature listed. SB 454, in a House committee version, would allow temporary door locking devices to be used only during an emergency active threat situation or drill. SB 454 was not enacted: its last action was a favorable House committee report by substitute on April 2, 2026, with no House vote or signature listed. HB 629 was not enacted: its last action was Senate Tabled on March 31, 2026, with no Senate passage or signature listed.