Georgia’s long-running fight over car booting escalated at the Capitol on Friday, when state Sen. Josh McLaurin filed Senate Bill 541 to wipe out private booting across the state by making it illegal to slap wheel restraints on trespassing vehicles. McLaurin, who is running for lieutenant governor, is pitching the proposal as a consumer‑protection move that has already drawn bipartisan co‑sponsors. The bill has not yet been assigned to a committee, but it marks a new front in a debate that has already produced tighter rules for the booting industry.
According to Atlanta News First, McLaurin’s Senate Bill 541 would "prohibit the placement of wheel restraints on trespassing motor vehicles." The outlet also reported that a separate statewide overhaul of booting rules recently took effect, and that McLaurin rolled out the new measure on social media as part of his campaign launch for lieutenant governor.
New rules already on the books
Before this latest push, lawmakers had already tightened the screws on booting companies. Last year the General Assembly approved new oversight measures, and Gov. Brian Kemp signed them into law in 2025, according to The Atlanta Journal‑Constitution. That law targeted kickback arrangements between booting firms and property owners and required companies to post clear contact information and pricing so drivers know whom to call and what they will pay. Backers said the legislation brought statewide rules more in line with local ordinances that cities such as Atlanta already had on the books.
McLaurin's multiyear campaign
SB 541 is the latest chapter in what has become a multiyear campaign for McLaurin. He has repeatedly pushed booting reform since 2023, filing bills and amendments between 2023 and 2025 that sought to stamp out what he has labeled predatory tactics, including lot‑patrolling and landlord kickbacks. Industry representatives and some property owners have bristled at the idea of a full ban, warning it could simply shift the problem to more towing and potentially higher costs for drivers, WSB‑TV reported.
What happens next
For now, SB 541 is parked in legislative limbo. It still needs a committee assignment and then must clear floor votes in both chambers before it can land on Gov. Kemp’s desk. The bill’s route through the process, and any amendments that might be bolted on along the way, remain open questions. Supporters who want stronger protections for drivers argue that an outright ban is the simplest way to prevent quick, fee‑driven immobilizations. Parking‑industry groups caution that taking away booting as an enforcement tool could have ripple effects that lawmakers will not like. Atlanta News First noted the bill’s pending committee status and highlighted how McLaurin folded the proposal into the rollout of his lieutenant governor bid.
