Section 40-11-3.1. Unattended vehicle checks

   (a) It shall be the duty of any peace officer who discovers a motor vehicle which has been left unattended on a public street, road, or highway or other public property to immediately perform an unattended vehicle check on such motor vehicle, unless there is displayed on such motor vehicle an unattended vehicle check card indicating that another peace officer has already performed such an unattended vehicle check. For purposes of this Code section, an unattended vehicle check shall consist of such actions as are reasonably necessary to determine that the unattended vehicle does not contain an injured or incapacitated person and to determine that the unattended vehicle does not pose a threat to public health or safety.

(b) A peace officer completing an unattended vehicle check shall complete and attach to the vehicle an unattended vehicle check card. Unattended vehicle check cards shall be in such form, and shall be attached to vehicles in such manner, as may be specified by rule or regulation of the Department of Public Safety; and to the extent that sufficient funds are available to the department, the department may distribute such forms free of charge to law enforcement agencies in this state. Unattended vehicle check cards shall be serially numbered; shall be of a distinctive color and shape, so as to be readily visible to passing motorists; and shall contain spaces for the investigating police officer to indicate the location of the vehicle, the date and time of the completion of the unattended vehicle check, and the name of such peace officer's law enforcement agency. A detachable stub, which shall be filed with the investigating peace officer's law enforcement agency, shall bear the same serial number and shall contain the same information, together with the identity of the investigating peace officer and the license plate number and other pertinent identifying information relating to the abandoned vehicle.

(c) Nothing in the Code section shall limit the otherwise applicable authority of a peace officer to have an unattended motor vehicle removed to a garage or other place of safety.

(d) It shall be unlawful for any person other than a peace officer to attach a genuine or counterfeit unattended motor vehicle check card to a motor vehicle; and any person convicted of violating this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Code 1981, § 40-11-3.1, enacted by Ga. L. 1988, p. 688, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 951, § 7-1.