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Georgia Mechanics Lien
Deadlines & Filing Rules

Every notice, deadline, and recording requirement for a Georgia construction lien, drawn from O.C.G.A. §§ 44-14-361.1, 44-14-361.5 and the same rule engine that calculates deadlines for our filing customers.

File a Georgia lien from $99 See the deadlines

Georgia lien rules at a glance

Preliminary notice
Required for subcontractors, sub-subcontractors, and suppliers
Lien filing deadline
within 90 days after last furnishing labor or materials
Notarization
Required
The lien claim must be sworn to under oath
Where to record
Clerk of the superior court for the county
E-recording
Available in participating counties
Enforcement deadline
Within 365 days after the lien is recorded

Who can file a mechanics lien in Georgia

Lien rights depend on where you sit in the contracting chain. Tenant-ordered improvements can support a lien in Georgia.

Claimant Lien rights in Georgia
General contractor (direct contract with the owner) Yes
Subcontractor (hired by the general contractor) Yes
Sub-subcontractor (hired by a subcontractor) Yes
Material supplier to the owner Yes
Material supplier to the general contractor Yes
Material supplier to a subcontractor Yes

Georgia mechanics lien deadlines

Required for subcontractors, sub-subcontractors, and suppliers. Preliminary notices go to the property owner and the general contractor by certified mail.

Calculate your Georgia deadlines

Enter your role and project dates to turn the rules below into calendar dates. For other states, use the mechanics lien deadline calculator.

Project type

Choose your role to see which dates you need.

These dates come from the same rules our lien filing service uses. They are not moved for weekends or holidays. Deadlines turn on facts specific to your project. Confirm with counsel before relying on them.

Preliminary notice deadline

The notice that preserves lien rights before any payment problem exists.

Who Project type Deadline
All claimants All projects Within 30 days after first furnishing labor or materials

Mechanics lien filing deadline

The last day the lien can be recorded against the property.

Who Project type Deadline
All claimants All projects Within 90 days after last furnishing labor or materials

Georgia does not require a notice of intent before recording a lien, but sending one is often what gets the invoice paid.

How to file a Georgia mechanics lien

The steps in order, each with the statute behind it. Some steps apply only to certain claimants, and each says so.

  1. 1

    Look for a notice of commencement

    The owner, the owner's agent or the contractor must file a notice of commencement with the clerk of superior court, and post it on the site, within 15 days after the contractor starts work. It names the contractor, owner, property, surety and lender. If you ask the contractor in writing for a copy and do not receive it within 10 calendar days, the notice-to-contractor requirement does not apply to you.

    O.C.G.A. § 44-14-361.5(b)

  2. 2

    Send a notice to contractor if you have no contract with the prime

    If a notice of commencement was filed and you have no contract with the prime contractor (for example, a sub-subcontractor or a supplier to a subcontractor), give written notice to the owner and the contractor within 30 days after the notice of commencement was filed or 30 days after your first delivery, whichever is later. If no notice of commencement was filed, this step does not apply.

    O.C.G.A. § 44-14-361.5(a), (c)

  3. 3

    Prepare the claim of lien

    Draft the claim in substantially the statutory form: who you are, the amount claimed, the property and its owner, the date the claim became due (your last day of furnishing), and what you furnished. It must also include, in at least 12-point bold type, the statement that the claim expires and is void 395 days after filing if no notice of commencement of lien action is filed, and a notice telling the owner of the right to contest the lien.

    O.C.G.A. §§ 44-14-361.1(a)(2), 44-14-367

  4. 4

    File with the clerk of superior court within 90 days

    File the claim within 90 days after you completed the work or furnished the materials, in the clerk of superior court's office for the county where the property is located. Since January 1, 2025 self-filers must e-file real estate documents, including liens, through the Clerks' Authority portal (efile.gsccca.org) after verifying their identity. Only listed groups, such as Georgia attorneys, banks and title insurers, may still file on paper.

    O.C.G.A. §§ 44-14-361.1(a)(2), 44-2-2, 44-2-39 (HB 1292)

  5. 5

    Send a copy to the owner within 2 business days

    No later than two business days after the claim is filed, send a true copy by registered or certified mail or statutory overnight delivery to the owner. If the owner's address cannot be found, send it to the contractor as the owner's agent.

    O.C.G.A. § 44-14-361.1(a)(2)

  6. 6

    Start a lien action within 365 days

    Commence a lien action for the amount of your claim within 365 days after the claim was filed. If the owner files a notice of contest of lien, your time shrinks to 60 days from receipt of that notice.

    O.C.G.A. §§ 44-14-361.1(a)(3), 44-14-368

  7. 7

    File a notice of commencement of lien action within 30 days

    Within 30 days after starting the lien action, file a notice with the clerk of superior court in the county where the lien was filed, identifying the court, the case and the recorded lien. It is executed under oath by the claimant or its attorney. Without it the claim may be disregarded 395 days after filing.

    O.C.G.A. §§ 44-14-361.1(a)(3), 44-14-367

What the claim of lien must contain

Georgia law requires the claim of lien (materialman's or mechanic's lien) to include the following (O.C.G.A. §§ 44-14-361.1(a)(2), 44-14-367).

  • Identity and capacity of the claimant (mechanic, contractor, subcontractor, materialman, architect, engineer, surveyor, etc.)
  • The amount claimed
  • The property (house, building or premises and the real estate on which it stands) and the name of its owner, with a description of the property
  • The date the claim became due, which is the last date labor, services or materials were supplied to the premises
  • What the claim is for (building, repairing, improving, furnishing material, or other work)
  • In at least 12-point bold type: 'This claim of lien expires and is void 395 days from the date of filing of the claim of lien if no notice of commencement of lien action is filed in that time period.'
  • A notice to the owner that the owner has the right to contest the lien

The statute gives the claim's wording 'in substance' (beginning 'A.B., a mechanic, contractor, subcontractor, materialman ... claims a lien in the amount of ...'); no separate official form was found. A claim that omits the 395-day expiration statement is invalid (§ 44-14-367). The statute read does not expressly require the claim itself to be notarized; the later notice of commencement of lien action must be under oath.

Download a blank Georgia lien claim form

The Claim of Lien our filing service prepares, with every field left blank. PDF, free, no sign-up. Fill in your own facts and check them against the list above before you sign.

Recording and enforcing a Georgia lien

Recording the lien

Record with the clerk of the superior court for the county. Electronic recording is available in participating counties. The lien must be notarized. The lien claim must be sworn to under oath.

After recording

A copy of the recorded lien must be served on the property owner and the general contractor within 2 days of recording. To keep the lien alive it must be enforced by lawsuit within 365 days after the lien is recorded.

Wrongful lien exposure

We found no dedicated wrongful-lien penalty in Georgia's lien statute. An owner can still ask a court to remove an inflated or baseless lien, so claim only what you are owed.

Practitioner notes for Georgia

In Georgia, every claimant has 90 days to file a claim of lien with the clerk of the superior court in the county where the property sits. The clock runs from completion of the work or from when the materials or machinery were furnished (O.C.G.A. § 44-14-361.1(a)(2)). Within two business days after filing, send a true copy of the claim to the owner by registered or certified mail or statutory overnight delivery. Missing a step can make the lien unenforceable. The owner or contractor must file a notice of commencement within 15 days after the contractor starts work. If one is filed, a claimant who has no contract with the prime contractor, such as a sub-subcontractor or a supplier to a subcontractor, must give a written notice to contractor to the owner and the contractor. It is due within 30 days after the notice of commencement is filed or 30 days after the claimant's first delivery, whichever is later (O.C.G.A. § 44-14-361.5). If no notice of commencement is filed, this requirement does not apply. To enforce the lien, start a lien action within 365 days after filing the claim. Then, within 30 days after starting it, file a notice of commencement of lien action with the clerk (O.C.G.A. § 44-14-361.1(a)(3)). An owner can file a notice contesting the lien, which shortens your time; confirm the period with counsel.

These notes summarize the statute as we read it.

Statutory sources: O.C.G.A. §§ 44-14-361.1, 44-14-361.5. Read the Georgia lien statute. Deadlines turn on facts specific to your project. Confirm with counsel before relying on them.

Where to file in Georgia

Georgia claims of lien are filed with the clerk of superior court in the county where the property sits. Since January 1, 2025, anyone filing their own lien must e-file it through the Clerks' Authority portal at efile.gsccca.org after a photo identity check. Only listed filers, such as Georgia attorneys, banks and title insurers, may still file on paper. The statewide fee to record a lien is $25 (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-77).

The 10 most populous Georgia counties, the office that takes liens in each, whether it accepts e-filing, and the fee it publishes. Liens on property in any other county go to that county's office.

County Office E-filing Fee
Fulton Fulton County Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts, Real Estate Division Yes
Through GSCCCA eFile portal (efile.gsccca.org)
$25 to record a materialman's lien (same fee for lien recordings, notices, bonds and lis pendens). Fee schedule
Gwinnett Gwinnett County Clerk of Courts, Deeds and Land Records
Gwinnett County Clerk of Court, P.O. Box 2050, Lawrenceville, GA 30046 (street: 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30046)
 Yes
Through GSCCCA eFile portal (efile.gsccca.org)
Fee not published online; ask the office.
Cobb Cobb County Superior Court Clerk, Real Estate Division
Cobb County Superior Court Clerk, Real Estate Division, 10 East Park Square, Building C, Marietta, GA 30090
 Yes
Through GSCCCA eFile portal (efile.gsccca.org)
$25 for FiFas, liens, materialman liens, lis pendens and notices of commencement, and $25 for each cancellation, release or assignment. Fee schedule
DeKalb DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court, Real Estate
DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court, Attn: Real Estate, 556 N. McDonough St., Ground Floor, Decatur, GA 30030
 Yes
Through GSCCCA, Simplifile, eRecording.com, CSC Global, GO ePN
Fee not published online; ask the office.
Chatham Chatham County Clerk of Superior Court, Real Estate Division
ATTN: Real Estate Division, Clerk of Superior Court, P.O. Box 10227, Savannah, GA 31412 (FedEx/UPS: 133 Montgomery Street, Room 304, Savannah, GA 31401)
 Yes
Through GSCCCA (gsccca.org/file)
Fee not published online; ask the office.
Clayton Clayton County Clerk of Superior Court, Real Estate Division Yes
Through GSCCCA eFile portal (efile.gsccca.org)
Fee not published online; ask the office.
Cherokee Cherokee County Clerk of Superior Court, Deeds and Records
Deeds and Records, 90 North Street, Suite G-150, Canton, GA 30114
 Yes
Vendors not listed online
Fee not published online; ask the office.
Forsyth Forsyth County Clerk of Superior Court, Real Estate
Clerk of Court-Real Estate, 101 East Courthouse Square, Suite 1007, Cumming, GA 30040
 Yes
Through GSCCCA eFile portal (efile.gsccca.org)
$25 per instrument for liens and for lien cancellations, releases and assignments. Fee schedule
Henry Henry County Clerk of Superior Court, Real Estate Division Yes
Through GSCCCA eFile portal (efile.gsccca.org)
Fee not published online; ask the office.
Hall Hall County Clerk of Court, Real Estate Division
Hall County Clerk of Court, P.O. Box 1275, Gainesville, GA 30503-1336
 Yes
Through GSCCCA eFile portal (gsccca.org)
$25 per document to record most documents, including cancellations and assignments ($25 per reference), set by state law since January 2020. Fee schedule

Collected from each office's website on October 2, 2026. Fees and filing methods change. Confirm them with the office before you file.

Recent changes to Georgia lien law

Changes since 2022 that affect lien deadlines, notices, forms or filing.

HB 1292: mandatory e-filing and ID verification for real estate filings

Effective January 1, 2025

Self-filers must e-file all real estate documents, including liens, through the Clerks' Authority portal at efile.gsccca.org, and every e-filer must complete photo identity verification. Only listed groups (federally insured banks and credit unions, Georgia attorneys, mortgage lenders and servicers, licensed surveyors, title insurers, real estate brokers and public officials) may still file on paper, with proof of status. A contractor filing its own lien must e-file.

O.C.G.A. §§ 44-2-2, 44-2-39 (HB 1292, 2024 session)

GSCCCA Georgia real estate e-recording rules, version 2025-04-09

Effective May 1, 2025

The Clerks' Authority issued updated statewide e-recording rules for real estate filings, effective May 1, 2025, to implement the e-filing mandate.

GSCCCA Georgia Real Estate eRecording Rules (https://www.gsccca.org/docs/efiling-documents/gsccca_georgia_real_estate_erecording_rules.pdf)

Sources for this page (22)

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Georgia mechanics lien FAQ

How long do I have to file a mechanics lien in Georgia?
The Georgia lien must be recorded within 90 days after last furnishing labor or materials. The same deadline applies to every claimant.
Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Georgia?
Required for subcontractors, sub-subcontractors, and suppliers. Serve it on the property owner and the general contractor by certified mail. Missing it usually forfeits lien rights for the unnoticed work.
Does a Georgia mechanics lien need to be notarized?
Yes. The lien must be notarized before it is recorded. The lien claim must be sworn to under oath.
Where is a mechanics lien filed in Georgia?
With the clerk of the superior court for the county. Electronic recording is available in participating counties, which typically cuts the turnaround to a day or two.
How long is a Georgia mechanics lien valid?
A Georgia lien must be enforced through a foreclosure lawsuit within 365 days after the lien is recorded. If no suit is filed by then, the lien expires and can no longer be used to force payment.
Can a subcontractor file a mechanics lien in Georgia?
Yes. Subcontractors have lien rights in Georgia, and so do sub-subcontractors. They must follow the preliminary notice rules to keep those rights.
Can I file a lien on a Georgia public project?
Public property is protected by the contractor's payment bond rather than liens. If the contractor filed a notice of commencement, give notice within 30 days after it was filed or after your first delivery, whichever is later. If you had no direct contract with the contractor, you must also give written notice of your claim within 90 days after your last work or delivery, by certified mail or sheriff's service. Source: O.C.G.A. § 13-10-63.
Can a supplier to a supplier file a Georgia lien?
Generally no. The lien statute covers contractors, subcontractors, materialmen furnishing materials to subcontractors, and laborers for subcontractors and materialmen. A company that only sells to another supplier is not in that list, so it does not get a lien on the owner's property. Source: O.C.G.A. § 44-14-361(a).
What happens after I file a lien in Georgia?
Within two business days you must mail or overnight a copy to the owner. You then have 365 days from filing to start a lien action, and 30 days after starting it to file a notice of commencement of lien action with the clerk. If no such notice is filed within 395 days of the lien, the lien can be disregarded. Source: O.C.G.A. §§ 44-14-361.1(a)(2)-(3), 44-14-367.
Can the owner challenge or remove my lien?
Yes. The owner or contractor can file a notice of contest of lien, which gives you only 60 days from receipt to start your lien action; if no notice of commencement of lien action follows, the lien is extinguished 90 days after the contest was filed. The owner or contractor can also discharge the lien by posting a bond for double the claim, or for the claim amount on the owner's primary residence. Source: O.C.G.A. §§ 44-14-364(a), 44-14-368.
How do lien waivers and releases work in Georgia?
Georgia prescribes interim and final waiver forms, in at least 12-point type. A waiver signed before you are paid becomes binding unless you file an affidavit of nonpayment in the property's county within 90 days after signing it and send a copy to the owner within seven days. A waiver covers only lien and bond rights, not your right to sue for payment. Source: O.C.G.A. § 44-14-366.
What does it cost to file a lien in Georgia?
Every clerk of superior court charges the same statutory fee: $25 to file a lien on real estate, regardless of page count, and $25 to file a cancellation of the lien. Filing through the GSCCCA e-file portal, which is now required for most self-filers, needs a card payment and may carry a convenience fee. Source: O.C.G.A. § 15-6-77.

More Georgia lien tools

Bordering states

This page summarizes Georgia lien law for general information and is not legal advice. Deadlines depend on your role, project type, and dates; confirm them against the statute or with counsel before relying on them.