Bartow County, GA Ordinances (2026)

In unincorporated Bartow County, cutting, trimming or spraying trees, shrubs or other vegetation within a county right-of-way triggers a written notification requirement under the…

Outdoor watering of lawns, gardens, trees and shrubs in unincorporated Bartow County is restricted to the hours of 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. under Code § 74-58(f). The rule applies…

Bartow County's outdoor watering-hours rule does not apply to rainwater harvesting. Code § 74-58(f)(2) exempts capture and reuse of cooling system condensate or stormwater from the…

Unincorporated Bartow County makes it unlawful for a property owner or occupant to let undesirable vegetation, weeds, trash, junk, or filth accumulate on a lot to the point that it…

In unincorporated Bartow County, the county water system posts a door hanger notice at any address where a service leak is found, warning that the leak must be repaired within 24 hours…

Commercial conveyor car washes built or permitted in unincorporated Bartow County after January 1, 2011 must install a recycled water system that captures and reuses wash and rinse…

Unincorporated Bartow County levies an 8 percent excise tax on hotel, motel and other lodging charges under Bartow County Code § 44-402. Operators must remit the tax to the county…

Anyone filming a motion picture, TV production, video or web video on public or private property in unincorporated Bartow County, including rights of way, must first obtain a film…

Student film productions in unincorporated Bartow County are exempt from the county's film production permit requirement under the Film Permit Ordinance. The exemption also covers news…

Bartow County bans full road or bridge closures for filming. At least one lane must stay open at all times, with reversing traffic control, and any full blockage is limited to brief…

Unincorporated Bartow County enforces the National Electrical Code as one of the state minimum standard codes, and anyone who wants to install, alter, repair, convert, or replace an…

Bartow County requires a minimum NFPA 13R automatic fire sprinkler system in community living arrangements, personal care homes, lodging and rooming houses, and board-and-care…

Bartow County requires a building official to inspect construction at defined stages before releasing work to proceed, ending with a final inspection before occupancy. County Code §…

Bartow County's fire code requires carbon monoxide detectors in community living arrangements, personal care homes, lodging and rooming houses, and board-and-care occupancies that use…

Unincorporated Bartow County enforces the International Plumbing Code as one of the state minimum standard codes, and anyone who wants to install, alter, repair, convert, or replace a…

Unincorporated Bartow County requires a permit before anyone builds, enlarges, alters, repairs, or changes the occupancy of a building or structure, or works on its electrical, gas…

In unincorporated Bartow County, an in-home child day care for six or fewer children is a permitted use in the A-1, RE-1, RE-2, R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4 residential districts, but Zoning…

Making loud, boisterous or unreasonable noise that disturbs others near any public road, park or common area is disorderly conduct in unincorporated Bartow County. The offense carries…

Bartow County does not ban outdoor smoking countywide. Instead, §50-76(12) makes it disorderly conduct to smoke in any establishment, facility or outdoor area that its owner, operator…

Bartow County Code § 62-176 bans loitering on and about any county solid waste management facility in unincorporated Bartow County. The one-line rule sits inside a broader facility…

Bartow County Code § 70-62 makes it unlawful to possess an open container of alcohol while driving or riding in a vehicle anywhere in the county. Passengers can avoid liability only by…

Bartow County Code § 44-373 bans anyone from standing on a highway or public street to solicit contributions, business or employment from vehicle occupants or pedestrians without a…

Unincorporated Bartow County requires a scannable microchip only for dogs classified as vicious under the county's dangerous-dog ordinance, implanted between the shoulder blades before…

Unincorporated Bartow County requires every sexually mature dog or cat placed for adoption by the county animal shelter or a humane society to be sterilized by a licensed veterinarian…

Unincorporated Bartow County requires every dog (cats are exempt) to be under secure control at all times, on or off its owner's property. Off premises, secure control means the dog is…

Unincorporated Bartow County bans owning, harboring or letting run at large any exotic or wild animal without written permission from the director of animal control, and flatly bans…

Unincorporated Bartow County caps household pets by lot size: no more than three dogs on a one-acre-or-smaller lot, six dogs on one-to-two acre lots, and six cats on any lot of two…

Unincorporated Bartow County scales livestock and chicken limits to lot size: up to eight livestock or 20 chickens on two-to-ten acre lots, eight hens (no roosters) on one-to-two acre…

Unincorporated Bartow County exempts trap-neuter-vaccinate-return community cats from the secure-control law, the public nuisance rule, and numeric cat limits, so long as the cat is…

Bartow County has no breed-specific ban; instead it classifies individual dogs as "dangerous" or "vicious" based on documented bites or attacks under Bartow County Code § 14-66. A…

Unincorporated Bartow County bars animal grooming and similar pet-related businesses from operating as a home occupation on any residential lot under five acres. A boarding kennel…

Unincorporated Bartow County allows veterinary clinics, kennels and animal hospitals as a permitted use in the C-1 general business district under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 7.11.8(G), but…

Unincorporated Bartow County does not ban retail sale of dogs and cats or require pet stores to be adoption-only. Instead, anyone who breeds more than one litter per household per…

It is unlawful to obstruct, encroach upon or materially injure any Bartow County road right-of-way or pavement. The Right-of-Way Ordinance bars unpermitted encroachments and buildings…

Bartow County allows specific encroachments into its road rights-of-way, but only under a permit. Driveways need a driveway permit from the community development department…

Anyone who peddles door to door in unincorporated Bartow County, from selling goods to taking service orders, must first get a license from the county sheriff. Bartow County Code §…

Bartow County runs no municipal curbside pickup in the unincorporated area; private and commercial haulers who collect commercial, industrial, institutional or municipal waste must…

In unincorporated Bartow County, any hauler collecting commercial, industrial, institutional or municipal waste, including roll-off box operators, must hold an annual county landfill…

Unincorporated Bartow County residents may not put yard trimmings, leaves, brush, grass clippings and prunings out for regular landfill pickup. Bartow County Code § 62-151(9) confines…

Bartow County Code § 62-182 punishes improper or unpermitted dumping at county solid waste facilities with escalating suspensions of a hauler's permit and dumping privileges, from a…

Bartow County Code § 62-181 requires anyone dropping off waste at a county solid waste collection center to be a resident disposing of household garbage only, and to put recyclable…

Selling food from a cart or on foot along a sidewalk in unincorporated Bartow County falls under the county's peddling law, and Bartow County Code § 44-357 flatly bars peddling on any…

Bartow County Code § 44-168 sets the licensing standard for food trucks and mobile food service units operating in unincorporated Bartow County. Every food truck must hold an…

Every business in unincorporated Bartow County must register each line of business it conducts for occupation tax purposes, and multi-line businesses are taxed on their dominant line…

Unincorporated Bartow County requires every short-term rental to have an owner or designated local contact who responds to the property within one hour after the county gives notice of…

Unincorporated Bartow County requires every short-term rental to provide off-street parking for one vehicle per rented bedroom, restricted to hard-surfaced gravel, concrete, or asphalt…

A short-term rental in unincorporated Bartow County cannot sleep more than two overnight guests per bedroom plus two more per residence, and total overnight occupancy tops out at 15…

Unincorporated Bartow County does not require a separate permit to operate a short-term rental. Instead, Bartow County Code § 18-133 sets mandatory safety standards, smoke detectors…

Pawnshop owners and employees in unincorporated Bartow County need an annual sheriff-issued permit under the county's Fair Business Practices Act, plus a $25.00 operating fee, a…

Secondhand dealers in unincorporated Bartow County, businesses that buy, sell or trade used items like tools, electronics, jewelry or coins, need an annual sheriff-issued permit and a…

Unincorporated Bartow County requires a sexually oriented business license before operating any adult bookstore, cabaret, motel, theater, semi-nude model studio, sexual device shop or…

Unincorporated Bartow County's zoning ordinance flatly forbids running an automobile sales, service, repair, detailing, paint and body, or tire shop operation as a home occupation. The…

Unincorporated Bartow County's zoning ordinance bars massage therapy or similar services from operating as a home occupation anywhere in the county's residential districts. The rule…

In unincorporated Bartow County, a personal storage building, garage, or other accessory building under 400 square feet needs no building permit as long as it is not used for…

In unincorporated Bartow County, an accessory dwelling unit such as a guest house, pool house or garage apartment cannot be rented out. The Zoning Ordinance limits occupancy of an ADU…

Unincorporated Bartow County's zoning ordinance bars anyone from living in a tiny house, whether full time or temporarily, on a residential lot. The structure is grouped with tents…

Unincorporated Bartow County allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot in residential districts and A-1, capped at 50 percent of the main home's heated area or 1,000 square feet on…

Unincorporated Bartow County requires a permit from the county engineering department before any development activity begins on a site within an area of special flood hazard. County…

In unincorporated Bartow County, new residential construction and substantial improvements within the future-conditions floodplain must have the lowest floor elevated at least three…

Unincorporated Bartow County requires a land disturbance permit and an approved erosion, sedimentation and pollution control plan before any land-disturbing activity of an acre or more…

New development or redevelopment in unincorporated Bartow County that disturbs an acre or adds 5,000 square feet of impervious surface must retain the first inch of rainfall on-site…

Unincorporated Bartow County treats a private boat dock and boathouse as a customary accessory use for any single-family home on an A-1 lot of at least two acres, with no separate…

Bartow County can declare a building, dwelling, or structure in unincorporated Bartow County illegal and unfit for habitation or its current use when conditions like fire hazards…

Grass and vegetation within 25 feet of the curb or pavement edge on any vacant or undeveloped lot in unincorporated Bartow County must stay under 12 inches tall. The rule covers…

In unincorporated Bartow County, a complaint can trigger a code enforcement inspection of a rental or any other dwelling believed unfit for habitation. County Code § 18-558 lets a…

In unincorporated Bartow County it is unlawful to ignite fireworks or consumer fireworks before 10:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. on any day, under a noise-nuisance finding in the county…

Unincorporated Bartow County lets the fire chief ban all open burning, including backyard campfires and bonfires, whenever drought or other dangerous conditions raise fire risk. The…

Unincorporated Bartow County bans burning treated wood, plastics, rubber including tires, petroleum products and anything containing them anywhere in the county. The fire chief can…

Unincorporated Bartow County requires an operable battery-powered smoke detector in every bedroom of a pre-owned manufactured home, plus one more in the hallway within ten feet of any…

In unincorporated Bartow County, propane (LP-gas) storage tanks are a permitted use in the C-1 general business district only under Sec. 7.11.8(V): capacity capped at 15,000 gallons…

In unincorporated Bartow County, new construction and substantial improvements inside the future-conditions floodplain must be anchored against flotation, built with flood-resistant…

Unincorporated Bartow County's nuisance ordinance declares conditions that let rodents and vermin breed excessively, relative to the surrounding area, an unlawful nuisance. The county…

Unincorporated Bartow County exempts cooking on a typical grill or smoker, and lighter fluid used to ignite charcoal, from its open burning prohibitions and from any burn ban the fire…

Bartow County runs no red-light camera program; its automated enforcement is limited to school-zone speed cameras and school bus stop-arm cameras under Code §§ 70-100-70-107…

Bartow County Code § 70-3 bans leaving any motor vehicle, trailer or other vehicle unattended on the right-of-way of a county road in unincorporated Bartow County, except temporarily…

In unincorporated Bartow County, every building used for business, trade, or industry must provide off-street loading space separate from parking, measuring at least 10 feet wide by 30…

In unincorporated Bartow County, recreational vehicles, boats, campers and jet skis parked on a residential lot must stay in the side or rear yard, out of any setback, buffer or…

Unincorporated Bartow County caps commercial vehicles, including trailers separated from a tractor, at two per residential lot, and bars them entirely from a lot without an occupied…

Unincorporated Bartow County bans an unlicensed vehicle, boat or trailer on any property unless it sits in a fully enclosed building or a licensed junk yard. An inoperative, junked or…

Bartow County Code § 70-43 bans loud engine or compression braking, commonly called Jake brakes, on specific unincorporated county highway segments, including stretches of Old Alabama…

Unincorporated Bartow County treats a dog that barks, howls or whines continuously for more than 15 minutes, or repeatedly for 15 total minutes within an hour, audible from a…

Unincorporated Bartow County allows data centers as a use with its own zoning standards under the county Zoning Ordinance. Buildings are capped at 75 feet in height, and every data…

Unincorporated Bartow County caps the continuous sound a data center can produce at its property line under the county Zoning Ordinance. The limit is 65 decibels from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00…

Bartow County has no general outdoor lighting ordinance for unincorporated homes and businesses, but its Zoning Ordinance imposes a specific dark-sky standard on data centers. Exterior…

New commercial and office development in unincorporated Bartow County must aim outdoor lighting downward and keep light fixture poles under 40 feet, with fixtures shielded so glare and…

Any illuminated billboard-type sign in unincorporated Bartow County must be shielded so its light source cannot be seen by passing drivers or nearby homes, and ground signs cannot be…

Unincorporated Bartow County allows a home occupation in a residential or A-1 district only as a use that is clearly secondary to the home itself. Zoning Ordinance § 6.2 caps the…

Bartow County limits how a home occupation handles customers and vehicles under Zoning Ordinance § 6.2. On-street parking of business vehicles is barred entirely, no more than two…

In-home childcare is allowed as a home occupation in unincorporated Bartow County, but Zoning Ordinance § 6.2(H)(6) caps it at six children at a time, counting the caregiver's own…

Unincorporated Bartow County bars any exterior sign or visible evidence of a home occupation. Zoning Ordinance § 6.2(D) prohibits external display of products, outside storage of…

Every swimming pool in unincorporated Bartow County must be enclosed with a fence that meets the county's adopted building code, specifically International Residential Code Appendix G…

Building a swimming pool in unincorporated Bartow County requires a building permit. Bartow County Code § 18-117 requires a permit to construct any structure, § 18-23 defines a…

Unincorporated Bartow County bans planting trees with vigorous root systems, specifically Eastern Cottonwood, Willow, and Lombardy Poplar, inside any sanitary sewer or public water…

A retaining wall over three feet of exposed height, or over two feet if it supports a surcharge, needs a Bartow County building permit under Code § 18-131. The application must include…

Bartow County has adopted the International Property Maintenance Code, with Georgia amendments, as its Property Maintenance Code under Code § 18-600, setting minimum conditions every…

The two complaints unincorporated Bartow County's code enforcement fields most often are junk and debris left in the open and inoperable or unregistered vehicles parked outside an…

Bartow County bans any sign on private property within 50 feet of the Interstate 75 right-of-way, five times the standard 10-foot front setback that applies along ordinary county…

Unincorporated Bartow County allows unlimited political signs on private property during a defined election cycle, from 150 days before a primary, special, general or runoff election…

Unincorporated Bartow County prohibits digital and LED billboards outright under the Zoning Ordinance's sign code. Any electronic display that shows moving images, changing messages…

Window signs in unincorporated Bartow County are capped by zoning district: residential districts (A-1, RE-1, RE-2, R-1 through R-8) allow just one window sign per dwelling up to 8…

In unincorporated Bartow County, the Zoning Ordinance caps single-family homes in the R-1 residential district at 50 feet under Sec. 7.4.2's area, yard, height and buffer table. The…

Non-residential and multi-family development in unincorporated Bartow County cannot cover more than 75 percent of a lot with buildings, pavement or other impervious surfaces. The limit…

Bartow County's Zoning Ordinance sets a different front, side and rear setback for every zoning district in Article VIII's Section 8.1.1 table. An A-1 or Rural Estate lot carries a…

In unincorporated Bartow County's RE-1 and RE-2 rural estate districts, a conservation subdivision developer earns a 20 percent density bonus under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 7.16.4(C) by…

The Etowah Valley Historic District overlay protects historical and cultural artifacts and sacred locations of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation…

Unincorporated Bartow County protects existing commercial farms from residential sprawl through Zoning Ordinance Sec. 8.2.3's Special Agricultural Protection Buffer: any new…

Bartow County's A-1 Agricultural district exists to protect farming from encroaching development, stating its purpose as preventing conflicts between common farm practices and non-farm…

Bartow County Code § 44-169 lets a beer garden serve alcohol in an open-air area only if its alcohol service area sits at least 100 feet from residentially zoned land, and at least 250…

In unincorporated Bartow County, rooftop solar panels on a home or other primary structure are an accessory use and do not need a conditional use permit. Ground-mount or utility-scale…

Unincorporated Bartow County allows yard, garage and carport sales on a residential lot no more than once per calendar quarter, and each sale cannot run longer than 72 hours. Flea…