A Georgia judge has ruled that a city ordinance banning guns in unlocked cars is unenforceable

A hand gun, a 10 shot magazine, and a 15 shot magazine on a table.
FILE - In this Tuesday, June 27, 2017, file photo, a semi-automatic hand gun is displayed with a 10 shot magazine, left, and a 15 shot magazine, right, at a gun store in Elk Grove, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

This story was updated on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at 7:02 p.m.

A Georgia judge Wednesday threw out the case of a man cited for violating a Savannah ordinance that imposes fines and possible jail time for leaving guns in unlocked cars, ruling that the ordinance violates state law and the U.S. Constitution.

The decision by a Chatham County Recorder’s Court judge likely applies only to the case of the defendant who challenged the gun ordinance as part of his criminal defense. Savannah’s mayor said he believes the city will continue to enforce the local law.