Georgia’s New Deposition Law Is Now in Effect: What HB 1208 Means for Your Practice

By Avi Stadler | July 13, 2026

If you take depositions in Georgia, the rules that govern who can make your record just got clearer. On July 1, 2026, House Bill 1208 took effect, updating Georgia’s Civil Practice Act to require that depositions be taken before a certified court reporter — and removing the outdated requirement that testimony be captured “by stenographic means.”

The change is small on paper and significant in practice. Here is what it means for you.

The law no longer specifies the tool; it specifies the standard: a certified court reporter.

What Changed

For decades, Georgia law tied depositions to a specific technology: the steno machine. HB 1208, signed by the Governor on May 5, 2026, replaces that method-based requirement with a standards-based one.

 

Before July 1, 2026 On and after July 1, 2026
Depositions had to be recorded “by stenographic means” — the law specified the tool. Depositions must be taken before a “certified court reporter” — the law specifies the standard.

 

The bill passed with broad bipartisan support, clearing the Georgia Senate unanimously (48-0) and the House by a wide margin (138-17).

Why the New Language Matters

The key is who Georgia certifies. Years ago, Georgia’s Board of Court Reporting opened its license to reporters using any proven method of capture — stenographic, voice, or digital. Every candidate takes a state-required, method-specific examination, and everyone who passes earns the same credential: Certified Court Reporter (CCR).

In other words, Georgia already held every reporter, regardless of method, to a single high standard. HB 1208 brings the statute in line with that reality. One clear standard, one license, and every qualified method welcome.

That makes Georgia a model for how states can modernize the making of the legal record without lowering the bar. Other states are watching.

What This Means for Your Depositions

  • More coverage, fewer delays. With certified digital and voice reporters fully recognized alongside stenographers, more qualified professionals are available to cover your proceedings — a meaningful advantage amid the nationwide court reporter shortage.
  • The same trusted record. Every deposition is still taken before a state-certified professional who administers the oath and stands behind the transcript.
  • Nothing new to do. Notice, scheduling, and deposition procedure are unchanged. You schedule the deposition; a certified court reporter makes the record.

Esquire’s Perspective

Esquire Deposition Solutions supported HB 1208 through two years of work with Georgia court reporters, lawmakers, and industry partners, and we were proud to see it become law. All of our Georgia digital reporters are certified by the state, and our Georgia team is ready under the new statute today.

Certification Is the Floor. The Esquire Way Is the Standard.

Georgia’s new law sets certification as the baseline for every deposition. At Esquire, state certification is where our standards begin, not where they end.

Every Esquire digital reporter subscribes to The Esquire Way — three interwoven principles drawn from the standards and best practices of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) and the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT):

  • Professionalism. Our digital reporters serve as impartial officers of the proceeding — administering oaths, marking exhibits, and maintaining control of the deposition, just as stenographic reporters do.
  • Excellent performance. Beyond state credentials, we require our digital reporters to hold AAERT certification — both Certified Electronic Reporter (CER) and Certified Deposition Reporter (CDR) — complete Esquire’s rigorous training program, and undergo continual quality and job-performance monitoring.
  • Accurate transcripts. Reporters capture testimony with purpose-built hardware and specialized recording software, with playback available on demand, and skilled legal transcriptionists produce the accurate verbatim transcript.

These principles serve one mission: to preserve and protect the sanctity of the record and ensure access to justice for all. When Georgia asks whether a reporter meets the standard, our answer is that ours are trained to exceed it.

The Bottom Line

Georgia has aligned its deposition statute with its certification standards: any state-certified court reporter may take a deposition, whatever method they use to capture it. For litigators, that means better access to qualified reporters and the same reliable record.

If you have questions about scheduling depositions in Georgia under the new law, our team is happy to help.

Posted in Navigate Litigation 2.0