Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: In Georgia, georgia requires bond by default for a person qualifying as personal representative of an intestate estate or as a temporary administrator (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50); Georgia’s code has no informal/formal or supervised/unsupervised split like the Uniform Probate Code.
Does Georgia require an executor to post a bond?
Georgia requires bond by default for a person qualifying as personal representative of an intestate estate or as a temporary administrator (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50); Georgia’s code has no informal/formal or supervised/unsupervised split like the Uniform Probate Code.
“Any person who seeks to qualify to serve as the personal representative of an intestate estate or as a temporary administrator shall be required to give bond with good and sufficient security.”
Source: O.C.G.A. §§ 53-6-50, 53-6-53
Can the will waive it in Georgia?
Yes. A representative who has been relieved of bond under the terms of a will (or is otherwise not required by law to give bond) is described in O.C.G.A. § 53-6-53 as having ‘qualified to serve without bond.’
If a DIY will is the right route for you in Georgia
Because Georgia’s own bond rule turns on what your will says, a properly executed will is the actual lever here, not paperwork on the side. LawDepot builds a state-specific last will and testament, which you then sign and witness under your state’s rules.
LawDepot pays us a commission if you buy through this link and it costs you nothing extra. We are not a law firm and this is not legal advice. Affiliate Disclosure.
Can the heirs or beneficiaries waive it in Georgia?
Yes. The bond otherwise required of an intestate administrator can be dispensed with by the unanimous written consent of the heirs of the estate (guardians may consent for non-sui-juris heirs), per O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50.
If a bond is required, how much?
When a bond is required, Georgia sizes it at 200% of the estimated value of the personal estate, per its own bond-amount statute.
“The bond shall be in a sum equal to double the value of the estate to be administered; provided, however, that the bond shall be in an amount equal to the value of the estate if secured by a licensed commercial surety”
Source: O.C.G.A. § 53-6-51
What makes Georgia different
Georgia’s mandatory-bond rule attaches to intestate administrators and temporary administrators specifically, not to personal representatives generally, and has no informal/supervised dichotomy. Even after a representative is excused from bond, § 53-6-53 lets the probate court order a show-cause bond hearing on its own motion or an interested party’s complaint of mismanagement.
A note on sourcing: Georgia’s official code is not freely published by the state itself, and Justia (a preferred mirror) returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch this session; FindLaw, a reputable statutory mirror quoting the O.C.G.A. text verbatim with citation, was used instead.
| Bond-requirement source | O.C.G.A. §§ 53-6-50, 53-6-53 |
| Georgia courts (general reference) | Georgia judicial branch |
| Georgia Secretary of State / legislature | Georgia state government |
| Confidence | Medium |
Every statute quoted on this page was read directly from the state’s own legislature/code site this session, or, where that site blocked automated access, from a reputable legal-citation mirror quoting the same official text with its official citation (disclosed below). General information, not legal advice; a probate court has final discretion over bond in every state; confirm your own case with the court or a local attorney before relying on the default described here.
Related: how long creditors have to file a claim against an estate in Georgia.