Georgia’s Open Meetings Act gives you the right to record public meetings—whether it’s with a smartphone, camera, or audio recorder.

As long as the meeting is open to the public (like city council sessions, school board meetings, or county commission hearings), you’re allowed to record both video and sound.

✔️ What You Can Do:

• Record public meetings using video or audio.
• Publish or share those recordings freely.
• Ask to see any written rules a public body has about recording.

🚫 What Agencies Can’t Do:

• Ban all recording just because they don’t want it.
• Enforce rules that aren’t written down or shared publicly.
• Treat media and the public differently—everyone has the right to record.

🧾 Quick Example:

In 2023, McIntosh County tried to ban recording in a courthouse meeting room. That move violated Georgia law, which protects your right to record public proceedings.

📍Bottom line: If the doors are open to the public, your camera or recorder can be, too. If you’re ever told otherwise, you have the right to ask for the rules—in writing.