This notion stems from an old internet myth and “dumb laws” lists, often vaguely attributed to “my state” without specifying Georgia, and no actual Georgia statute prohibits it.​
Legal Context
Georgia’s nuisance laws define anything causing hurt, inconvenience, or damage to others as a potential nuisance, but they do not target sleeping on appliances. Local codes in places like Atlanta address abandoned refrigerators as hazards, not personal use of functional ones in private backyards.​
Property and Safety Rules
Backyard refrigerators could pose attractive nuisance risks if abandoned and appealing to children, requiring property owners to secure them against injury claims. Recent laws focus on public camping restrictions, not private outdoor sleeping on private property.​
Myth Origins
The claim appears in Reddit threads and joke compilations from over a decade ago, similar to fabricated rules like ice cream in pockets, with no verifiable Georgia code section. Actual odd Georgia laws exist (e.g., no profanity near corpses), but this is not among them.
SOURCES
[1](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/113uc4/in_my_state_it_is_illegal_to_sleep_on_top_of_a/)
[2](https://forestgrove.pgusd.org/documents/Computer-Lab/Strange-State-Laws.pdf)
[3](https://www.smart-words.org/jokes/dumb-laws.html)
[4](https://library.municode.com/ga/atlanta/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORATGEVOII_CH74EN_ARTVNU_S74-175PRWHACTHTHTHPUHESAWE)
[5](https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2020/title-41/chapter-1/section-41-1-1/)
