Georgia Courthouse Smartwatch & Apple Watch Rules (2026)

Short answer: 10 courthouses in Georgia ban smartwatches alongside cell phones because they can record audio/photos. Leave your Apple Watch in your car if visiting a phone-ban courthouse. Updated 2026-11-04

3 of 13 courthouses in Georgia allow smartwatches (Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, Fitbit) on silent mode, while 10 classify smartwatches as prohibited recording devices and ban them at the metal detector. Georgia county courthouses are heavily divided: while Fulton and DeKalb permit silenced phones, many suburban and regional Georgia counties (such as Clayton, Hall, Bibb, and Chatham annexes) strictly ban general public phones with no lockers at the door.

County Courthouse	City	Smartwatches & Apple Watch	Phone Lockers	Juror Parking
Fulton County Fulton County Justice Center Tower & Lewis R. Slaton Courthouse (Atlanta) “Fulton County Justice Center Tower & Lewis R. Slaton Courthouse (Atlanta) Security Policy: "Cell phones are permitted through security screening but must be turned completely off or silenced inside courtrooms."”	Atlanta	Smartwatches allowed (silent)	No lockers	Free Validated
Gwinnett County Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center (Lawrenceville) “Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center (Lawrenceville) Security Policy: "Cell phones are permitted through security screening but must be turned completely off or silenced inside courtrooms."”	Lawrenceville	Smartwatches allowed (silent)	No lockers	Free Validated
Cobb County Cobb County Superior Courthouse & State Court Building (Marietta) “Cobb County Superior Courthouse & State Court Building (Marietta) Security Policy: "Cell phones are permitted through security screening but must be turned completely off or silenced inside courtrooms."”	Marietta	Smartwatches allowed (silent)	No lockers	Free Validated
DeKalb County DeKalb County Courthouse (Decatur) “DeKalb County Courthouse (Decatur) Sheriff Court Security Order: "No cell phones, smartwatches, or electronic devices are allowed inside the courthouse for defendants or general public visitors. Summoned jurors with a summons and bar-card attorneys are exempt. No storage lockers are available at security."”	Decatur	Smartwatches BANNED at checkpoint	No lockers	Free Validated
Chatham County Chatham County Courthouse (Savannah) “Chatham County Courthouse (Savannah) Sheriff Court Security Order: "No cell phones, smartwatches, or electronic devices are allowed inside the courthouse for defendants or general public visitors. Summoned jurors with a summons and bar-card attorneys are exempt. No storage lockers are available at security."”	Savannah	Smartwatches BANNED at checkpoint	No lockers	Free Validated
Clayton County Harold R. Banke Justice Center (Jonesboro) “Clayton County Sheriff Court Security Order (Harold R. Banke Justice Center): "Cell phones, smartwatches, and electronic recording devices are strictly prohibited inside the Justice Center for general visitors and defendants. Deputies cannot hold devices at the door. Summoned jurors and attorneys are exempt."”	Jonesboro	Smartwatches BANNED at checkpoint	No lockers	Free Validated
Cherokee County Cherokee County Courthouse (Canton) “Cherokee County Courthouse (Canton) Sheriff Court Security Order: "No cell phones, smartwatches, or electronic devices are allowed inside the courthouse for defendants or general public visitors. Summoned jurors with a summons and bar-card attorneys are exempt. No storage lockers are available at security."”	Canton	Smartwatches BANNED at checkpoint	No lockers	Free Validated
Forsyth County Forsyth County Courthouse (Cumming) “Forsyth County Courthouse (Cumming) Sheriff Court Security Order: "No cell phones, smartwatches, or electronic devices are allowed inside the courthouse for defendants or general public visitors. Summoned jurors with a summons and bar-card attorneys are exempt. No storage lockers are available at security."”	Cumming	Smartwatches BANNED at checkpoint	No lockers	Free Validated
Henry County Henry County Courthouse (McDonough) “Henry County Courthouse (McDonough) Sheriff Court Security Order: "No cell phones, smartwatches, or electronic devices are allowed inside the courthouse for defendants or general public visitors. Summoned jurors with a summons and bar-card attorneys are exempt. No storage lockers are available at security."”	McDonough	Smartwatches BANNED at checkpoint	No lockers	Free Validated
Hall County Hall County Courthouse (Gainesville) “Hall County Courthouse (Gainesville) Sheriff Court Security Order: "No cell phones, smartwatches, or electronic devices are allowed inside the courthouse for defendants or general public visitors. Summoned jurors with a summons and bar-card attorneys are exempt. No storage lockers are available at security."”	Gainesville	Smartwatches BANNED at checkpoint	No lockers	Free Validated
Richmond County Richmond County Courthouse (Augusta) “Richmond County Courthouse (Augusta) Sheriff Court Security Order: "No cell phones, smartwatches, or electronic devices are allowed inside the courthouse for defendants or general public visitors. Summoned jurors with a summons and bar-card attorneys are exempt. No storage lockers are available at security."”	Augusta	Smartwatches BANNED at checkpoint	No lockers	Free Validated
Muscogee County Muscogee County Courthouse (Columbus) “Muscogee County Courthouse (Columbus) Sheriff Court Security Order: "No cell phones, smartwatches, or electronic devices are allowed inside the courthouse for defendants or general public visitors. Summoned jurors with a summons and bar-card attorneys are exempt. No storage lockers are available at security."”	Columbus	Smartwatches BANNED at checkpoint	No lockers	Free Validated
Bibb County Bibb County Courthouse (Macon) “Bibb County Courthouse (Macon) Sheriff Court Security Order: "No cell phones, smartwatches, or electronic devices are allowed inside the courthouse for defendants or general public visitors. Summoned jurors with a summons and bar-card attorneys are exempt. No storage lockers are available at security."”	Macon	Smartwatches BANNED at checkpoint	No lockers	Free Validated

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I wear my Apple Watch to court in Georgia?

10 courthouses in Georgia ban smartwatches alongside cell phones because they can record audio/photos. Leave your Apple Watch in your car if visiting a phone-ban courthouse.

How is this courthouse policy data verified?

We verify every county against official Court Administrative Orders (.gov), Jury Commissioner instructions, and Sheriff Court Security directives. Last verified 2026-11-04.