Booting cars could be banned under new Georgia bill

Booting companies could be fined $1,000

A boot on a vehicle

One of drivers’ worst nightmares could soon be a thing of the past in Georgia under a new bipartisan bill.

State lawmakers are currently debating Senate Bill 247, which seeks to ban the practice of “booting” vehicles statewide.

Ordinarily, you might find a boot on one of your tires if you are behind on your parking tickets or if your car is parked in the wrong spot. Booting companies argue that the practice is a safer and cheaper alternative to towing, which can leave damage to vehicles.

But State Sen. Josh McLaurin, a Democrat from Atlanta who introduced the bill, says that booting is “overused and abused” and that many booting companies engage in questionable practices.

"In some cases, drivers are trapped for hours at a time. They might pay fines of upwards of $75, hundreds of dollars, and I’ve heard stories of people being booted in their own parking lots in their own apartment complexes," McLaurin told Fox 5 Atlanta.

Within hours of introducing the bill, McLaurin said it gained support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Josh McLaurin @JoshforGeorgia

Booting cars sucks. Let’s ban it.

As it is currently written, SB 247 would make it illegal for booting companies to place immobilization instruments on vehicles. Any violators would be ‘booted’ with a $1,000 fine.

The bill is expected to be assigned to a committee on Monday. But if it does not pass the full Senate by Crossover Day — March 6 — it is unlikely that it will become law this year. Any bills that do not pass at least one chamber by Crossover Day are considered dead for the rest of the session.

But with bipartisan support from lawmakers and growing frustration from Georgia drivers, Sen. McLaurin is confident that we will soon put a boot on booting.

“Booting cars sucks. Let’s ban it,” he tweeted.