Crimes Employed Using a Firearm; Felons (GA)

Any person who shall have on or within arm’s reach of his or her person a firearm[[xlv]] or a knife having a blade of three or more inches in length during the commission of, or the attempt to commit certain crimes shall be sentenced to an additional five (5) years on top of any sentence received for the underlying crime. [[xlvi]] A person who violates the statute for a second time will be sentenced to an additional ten (10) years. [[xlvii]] A convicted felon who commits one of the same crimes shall be sentenced to an additional (15) years in addition to the sentence for the underlying crime, and a felon who violates the statute for a second time shall be sentenced to life in prison. [[xlviii]]

Unless pardoned, expunged, or relieved from disability, a felon may not possess a firearm or other designated weapon. In order to have their right to possess weapons restored, felons must present proof to the Georgia Board of Public Safety that they have been relieved from the disability of possessing firearms under 18 U.S.C. § 925, and the Board of Public Safety must be satisfied that the individual no longer is a threat to the safety of the citizens of Georgia.