Penalty

Any person violating Code Section 43-10A-19 or Code Section 43-10A-7 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $500.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for each offense or by imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both. History. Code 1981, § 43-7A-20, enacted by Ga. L. 1984, p. 1406, § 1; Ga. L. 2022, p. 523, § 1/HB 972. The 2022 amendment, effective July 1, 2022, substituted “$500.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for each offense or by imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both” for “$100.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for each offense and, in addition, may be imprisoned for a term not to exceed 12 months” at the end of this Code section. 43-10A-21. Restrictions on use of terms in corporate, partnership, association, or business names. (a) No corporation, partnership, association, or other business entity may use in its corporate, partnership, association, or business name any term or title restricted under subsection (a) of Code Section 43-10A-7 or the term “professional counseling,” “social work,” or “marriage and family therapy,” or any words, letters, titles, or figures indicating or implying that such entity or any of its employees, officers, 339 43-10A-22 or agents are practicing a specialty regulated under this article, unless each person practicing a specialty in that entity, except those persons exempt under paragraph (1), (4), (5), (6), (12), (14), or (15) of subsection (b) of Code Section 43-10A-7, is licensed under this article. (b) Any corporation, partnership, association, or other business entity which violates subsection (a) of this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $500.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for each offense or by imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both. History. Code 1981, § 43-7A-21, enacted by Ga. L. 1984, p. 1406, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1484, § 6; Ga. L. 1993, p. 330, § 7; Ga. L. 2021, p. 729, § 3/HB 395; Ga. L. 2022, p. 523, § 1/HB 972. The 2021 amendment, effective July 1, 2021, substituted “this article” for “this chapter” twice in subsection (a). The 2022 amendment, effective July 1, 2022, substituted “(12), (14), or (15)” for “(11), (13), or (14)” in subsection (a), and added “or by imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both” at the end of subsection (b). 43-10A-22. Restrictions on scope of article.