Georgia Attorney General files brief for lawsuit against Savannah over gun restrictions

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has taken action to support a new lawsuit challenging the City of Savannah’s “illegal attempt to restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners,” according to a press release from the AG’s office.

The ordinance AG Carr is referencing was passed by Savannah City Council in April 2024 and requires gun owners to lock up their weapons when storing them in a car.

This misguided attempt to punish law-abiding Georgians does absolutely nothing to address crime, and it won’t hold up in Court.

No matter how much the Mayor disagrees with our laws, he cannot openly infringe on the Second Amendment rights of our citizens. Progressive politics aren’t a defense for government overreach.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr

In May 2024, AG Carr called Savannah’s gun ordinance “void” and said they “directly conflict with, and are preempted by, state law.”

In addition, Savannah’s gun ordinance calls on people to report their weapon has been stolen within 24 hours of knowing that it’s missing.

In 2024, Mayor Van Johnson said the city will continue to enforce the ordinance.

“Sue us. We’ll go to the Supreme Court and let the United States Supreme Court say,” said Mayor Johnson in 2024. “The gun ordinance doesn’t go anywhere. So, sorry.”

The August 4, 2025 press release from Carr’s office sates that “despite Carr’s recommendation that the City take immediate action to rescind the approval of the flawed ordinances – warning of potential civil liability – the City refused to do so. The lawsuit in which Carr has now filed a brief soon followed."