Georgia courts
When must I file a notice of appeal in an ordinary Georgia civil case?
You normally must file a notice of appeal in an ordinary Georgia civil case within 30 calendar days after entry of the appealable decision or judgment, under O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a). If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or Georgia legal holiday, the computation rule carries it to the next day that is not. Georgia legal holidays for 2026 and 2027 are applied; a local court closure or a holiday declared by the Governor or the President can extend the deadline further.
- Period
- 30 calendar days
- Trigger
- Entry of the appealable decision or judgment
- Rule
- O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a)
Georgia rules as encoded, 2026 and 2027 legal holidays bundled
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Which date starts the 30-day period?
The period runs from the entry of the appealable decision or judgment.
For O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a), count forward from the trigger event. Confirm the event on the docket or in the service record before entering a date.
Read Supreme Court of Georgia rulesA notice of appeal shall be filed within 30 days after entry of the appealable decision or judgment complained of.
O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a)
This is a docket-entry calculation. Do not substitute the day an email arrived, the day you read the order or the day of the hearing. Confirm that event before applying O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a).
Which date do I enter?How are the 30 calendar days counted?
- O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a). Exclude the day of the trigger event.
- Count every following day, including intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.
- If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or Georgia legal holiday, continue to the next day that is not one of those.
The O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a) record uses this method. Exclude the trigger day and count calendar days under O.C.G.A. § 1-3-1(d)(3).
For O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a), if the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or Georgia legal holiday, the computation rule carries it to the next day that is not. Georgia legal holidays for 2026 and 2027 are applied; a local court closure or a holiday declared by the Governor or the President can extend the deadline further.
The supporting computation provision for O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a) adds this boundary. Georgia computes time under O.C.G.A. § 1-3-1(d)(3). The calculator applies Georgia legal holidays for 2026 and 2027. A local court closure, an emergency closure or a holiday declared by the Governor or the President is not bundled and can extend the deadline.
Read O.C.G.A. § 1-3-1(d)(3)The calculation applies the ordinary method recorded for O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a). Check applicable holidays, court accessibility and the filing cutoff separately.
Review the filing checklistWhat does a worked calculation look like?
Fictitious example
Assume the entry of the appealable decision or judgment on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 (entry of the appealable decision or judgment on this date, with no order, motion or extension affecting the period), with no order, motion, extension or local closure affecting the result. Exclude the trigger day and count calendar days under O.C.G.A. § 1-3-1(d)(3). The example assumes no local rule, order or closure changes the ordinary period under O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a).
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Do not count this day | September 1, 2026 |
| Day 1 | Start counting calendar days | September 2, 2026 |
| Day 30 | Ordinary deadline in this example | October 1, 2026 |
Can an order, motion or extension change the deadline?
- Extensions
- The statutory notice period cannot be enlarged except as the governing law expressly permits.
- Orders and local rules
- A scheduling order, approved stipulation, standing order or local rule can control over the ordinary period described by O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a).
- The statutory notice period cannot be enlarged except as the governing law expressly permits.
- A stipulation, scheduling order, standing order or local rule can control over the ordinary period described by O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a).
What should I check before filing?
Common questions
Starting the clock
Does the clock start on the entry of the appealable decision or judgment, or when I first learned of it?
Under O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a), the period runs from the entry of the appealable decision or judgment, not from the day you read about it, received a courtesy copy or attended a hearing. Use the date shown on the docket or in the service record.
Counting days and filing
Is it 30 calendar days or business days?
For O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a), count calendar days, including intermediate weekends and holidays. If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, O.C.G.A. § 1-3-1(d)(3) carries it forward as provided by that rule.
O.C.G.A. § 1-3-1(d)(3)Which time zone and filing cutoff apply?
Georgia filing rules and the court’s electronic filing system set the cutoff. This calculator does not verify filing hours or system availability. Confirm that boundary before relying on a O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a) result.
O.C.G.A. § 1-3-1(d)(3)What if the court is inaccessible on the last day?
O.C.G.A. § 1-3-1(d)(3) and the court’s administrative orders govern an inaccessible clerk’s office. Check the court’s notices. This calculator does not predict a closure. This check remains separate from the ordinary O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a) count.
O.C.G.A. § 1-3-1(d)(3)Extensions and local rules
Can the court extend this deadline?
The statutory notice period cannot be enlarged except as the governing law expressly permits. A request does not itself extend the period under O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a), and no discretionary extension is calculated here.
Do local rules, standing orders or a scheduling order change the date?
They can. A local rule, standing order or case-specific order can control over the ordinary period calculated under O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a). Compare the result with every applicable order before relying on it.
Choosing the right calculator
Does this calculator decide whether the rule applies to my case?
No. It calculates a period from the date you provide under O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a). It does not decide whether the rule governs your filing, whether an exception applies, or whether the filing has merit.
Can I calculate the deadline without an account?
Yes. Enter the trigger date to see the free calculation under O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a), including the citation, counting steps and warnings. Court-specific facts can keep a result provisional.
Results, records and your case
What is included in an Evidence Record?
An eligible O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a) record retains the inputs, result, cited rule, calculation working, warnings and review state. It records that calculation and its fingerprint, not a guarantee of legal correctness.
Does saving to a case activate the calendar?
Not automatically. A provisional O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a) result remains subject to review, and a separately labeled manual date does not alter the original calculation.
Official sources and review
Provisions used (2)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| O.C.G.A. § 5-6-38(a) | Trigger and period |
| O.C.G.A. § 1-3-1(d)(3) | Counting, holidays and the last day |