What defines a licensee in Georgia tort law?

In Georgia tort law, a licensee is defined as a person who is allowed on the property primarily for their own convenience or purposes, rather than for any business or mutual benefit derived from being on that land. This definition is critical because it delineates the different categories of visitors on private property, each carrying unique responsibilities and standards of care that the property owner must uphold.

If the focus is purely on convenience, it sets apart licensees from invitees, who enter the property for mutual benefit (typically in a business context), or from trespassers, who have no permission to be on the property. Thus, understanding that a licensee is someone who has informal permission to be present, often without any benefit to the property owner, is essential for applying the proper legal standards in tort cases.

The other categories like a lease agreement or conducting business represent more formalized relationships, which would place the individual in different classifications regarding the level of care owed to them by the property owner.