Cobb County, GA Ordinances (2026)

Cobb County requires every permitted residential hauler working the unincorporated area to collect household trash at least once a week under Code of Ordinances section 102-70. During…

Unincorporated Cobb County requires every permitted residential collector to offer recyclable-materials pickup on a regular monthly basis to enrolled customers, not just advertise it…

Cobb County doesn't cancel trash pickup for holidays: it shifts it. Code of Ordinances § 102-70(2) requires every permitted residential hauler in the unincorporated county to alternate…

Since September 1, 1996, Cobb County has banned mixing yard trimmings with municipal solid waste anywhere in unincorporated Cobb County. Residents must sort, stockpile, chip, compost…

Cobb County limits how long garbage carts can sit streetside: no earlier than 6 p.m. the evening before pickup, gone by 11 p.m. on collection day.

Cobb County limits homeowners to one temporary dumpster, placed on a hardened surface, for up to 30 days per year in unincorporated areas.

Dumping, throwing, or leaving litter on public or private property in unincorporated Cobb County is a misdemeanor under County Code section 102-92(a). A load of ten pounds or 15 cubic…

Cobb County requires residential customers to bag and tie trash before setout, while recyclables must go loose into the recycling container, not bagged.

Cobb County requires bicyclists on Columns Drive, the corridor leading to the Cochran Shoals unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, to stay on the paved multi-use…

Cobb County bans Class II and Class III e-bikes from every park trail and limits Class I e-bikes to just three named trails countywide.

Cobb County Code § 90-63(b) bans smoking and vaping throughout every county-owned, leased, or operated park, sports complex, and recreation facility, including open outdoor areas, not…

Cobb County bans selling, possessing, or drinking alcohol in county parks and on school grounds, with narrow exceptions for permitted closed functions, county golf courses, and areas…

Cobb County lists urinating or defecating in public as banned disorderly conduct within any county park or recreation facility.

Cobb County's disorderly conduct ordinance bars loitering, prowling or remaining in a place in a manner unusual for law-abiding people once county police have ordered the area cleared…

Unincorporated Cobb County bans panhandling, soliciting or distributing materials to occupants of vehicles stopped on arterial and collector roads, medians included, whenever those…

Cobb County's noise ordinance singles out generators for their own rule. Operating a generator in the unincorporated county violates Code § 50-258(16) unless the unit is portable or is…

Cobb County enforces the International Property Maintenance Code as its housing code, and expressly extends it to dwellings that aren't owner-occupied and are rented or available for…

Filming that impacts public property in unincorporated Cobb County requires a film permit from the county manager's office before work begins.

Cobb County lets students obtain film permits but requires a school certificate proving current, bona fide enrollment before approval.

Owners of multifamily rental dwellings and units in unincorporated Cobb County must file a code compliance certificate before the county will issue or renew their business registration…

A legal recreational fire in unincorporated Cobb County can hold no more than three feet of fuel across and two feet high, burning only clean wood or logs: no garbage or yard waste.

Cobb County exempts small residential propane tanks entirely from its tank ordinance: a container used only for heating or cooking at a detached one- or two-family home escapes…

In unincorporated Cobb County, a temporary consumer fireworks retail stand must obtain a temporary business license and post a conspicuous notice listing the hours when igniting…

Unincorporated Cobb County bans burning petroleum products, tires, garbage, and any fire in a barrel outright under Code Section 54-114, and forbids all outdoor burning whenever…

In unincorporated Cobb County, trees inside a lot's protected zone (the land outside the buildable area, required open space, and any designated buffer or tree-save area) cannot be cut…

Cobb County limits outdoor irrigation of lawns, gardens, and landscaping to the hours of 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. year-round in unincorporated Cobb County, under Code Section 122-262…

Unincorporated Cobb County bans weeds and grass over 12 inches tall on any property, with code enforcement issuing notice, then a Magistrate Court citation for continued violations.

Cobb County bars sexually oriented businesses from locating within 750 feet of homes, 1,500 feet of schools or churches, 1,000 feet of another such business, or 500 feet of alcohol…

Any wrecker service operating on unincorporated Cobb County streets, zone-holder or not, must comply with the county's wrecker ordinance (Chapter 126, Article II) or risk citation. The…

Unincorporated Cobb County does not treat auto repair as a customary home occupation. Zoning Code § 134-1(3) bars home occupations from using equipment beyond household and hobby…

Cobb County requires anyone buying gold, silver, platinum, or gems from the public in the unincorporated county to register with the business license office, obtain a Chapter 78…

Cobb County requires every pawnshop in the unincorporated area to hold a license issued by the business license office. Applicants must be at least 25 years old, file a sworn written…

Cobb County requires anyone operating a health spa or massage business in the unincorporated area to hold a county license, and every therapist must carry a state massage license.

Cobb County requires tattoo, piercing, and semi-permanent makeup businesses to comply with the county board of health's Rules and Regulations for Body Art, adopted by reference in…

Cobb County requires a permit before any building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, or gas work begins on unincorporated property, issued by the Development and Inspections Division…

Cobb County adopts the International Energy Conservation Code as the county's energy code for the unincorporated area, codified at County Code Section 18-326 under authority of…

Cobb County has adopted the National Electrical Code as its electrical code, and Sec. 18-27 requires a permit before any electrical work begins in the unincorporated county.

Cobb County has adopted the International Plumbing Code as its plumbing code, and Sec. 18-27 requires a permit before any plumbing work begins in the unincorporated county.

New apartment buildings two stories or taller in unincorporated Cobb County must install a supervised fire protection sprinkler system, with NFPA 13R allowed up to four stories and…

In unincorporated Cobb County, every exterior door must carry proper hardware kept in working condition, fit its frame tightly enough to keep out rain and wind, and have jambs, stops…

Cobb County requires a short-term rental certificate from the business license division before anyone rents a residential property in the unincorporated area to transient guests for 30…

Cobb County fines short-term rental violations $500 for a first offense and $750 for a second, then revokes the certificate for 12 months after a third violation within a year.

Renting a house or room to guests for stays under 30 days in unincorporated Cobb County requires an annual short-term rental certificate from the business license division before any…

Cobb County short-term rentals must follow the county's single-family dwelling occupancy standard of at least 390 square feet of living space per adult occupant, and the resulting…

Cobb County caps overnight vehicle parking for every short-term rental in the unincorporated area at one vehicle per 390 square feet of the dwelling's living space, the same standard…

Cobb County makes every short-term rental owner responsible for collecting and remitting all required hotel/motel occupancy taxes, tourism fees, and other state and local lodging taxes…

Every short-term rental in unincorporated Cobb County must disclose the county's noise rules to guests, not just register for a permit. Code § 78-407(h)(7)-(8)e requires that both the…

Cobb County Code § 14-74(4) requires every pilot using Cobb County Airport, McCollum Field, to follow published federal, state, and local noise abatement procedures. The rule sits…

Unincorporated Cobb County bans noisy landscaping equipment, mowers, trimmers, chainsaws, pressure washers, and leaf blowers, gas or electric, between 9:00 p.m. and 6:59 a.m. on any…

Cobb County's unincorporated areas cap loud noise at 70 dBA from 7 a.m. to 10:59 p.m. and 65 dBA overnight, measured at the complaining property's location.

Cobb County makes it unlawful, in the unincorporated county, to let exhaust escape without an effective muffler or to drive a vehicle so out of repair or loaded that it grates, grinds…

In unincorporated Cobb County, sound that disturbs a neighbor's comfort or repose breaks the noise ordinance once it tops 70 dBA between 7:00 a.m. and 10:59 p.m., dropping to a…

In unincorporated Cobb County, keeping an animal or bird whose frequent or long-continued noise disturbs a neighbor's comfort or repose is a noise-ordinance violation under Code §…

In unincorporated Cobb County, noisy construction work, excavation, demolition, alteration or repair of a structure, and equipment like pile drivers, pneumatic hammers, saws and…

In unincorporated Cobb County, playing a radio, musical instrument, phonograph or other sound-producing device so it disturbs neighbors' peace and quiet is a noise-ordinance violation…

Cobb County requires every cat be vaccinated for rabies by four months of age and, once past that age, to wear a collar with a valid vaccination tag whenever it's off the owner's…

Cobb County defines a hoarder as anyone who collects animals without adequate care or keeps them in filthy, unsanitary conditions, and lists hoarding as a form of criminal animal…

Cobb County caps backyard hens at one per 5,000 square feet on lots under two acres and requires a fenced rear-yard coop 25 feet off property lines.

Every dog, cat, or other animal adopted from the Cobb County Animal Control and Services (CCAS) shelter must be spayed or neutered under Cobb County Code § 10-69(e). Adopters sign a…

Cobb County requires owners of dogs classified dangerous or vicious to obtain a nontransferable certificate of registration, secure the dog in an approved enclosure, post warning…

Cobb County requires every animal off its owner's property to be on a chain, leash, or tie no longer than six feet in the hands of someone able to control it; voice command alone does…

In Cobb County's NRC neighborhood retail commercial district, animal hospitals are allowed only as a special exception use and must carry a 35-foot landscaped buffer against…

Cobb County makes it unlawful to purchase, sell, own, possess, harbor, or breed a coyote, along with foxes, raccoons, skunks, wolves, hybrid wildlife, and exotic cats, anywhere in the…

Cobb County requires convenience stores and package stores to keep a working video camera running and retain footage for 48 hours, but sets no rule for residential security cameras.

Cobb County requires best management practices on all land-disturbing activity in the unincorporated area, and treats stormwater discharge that raises receiving-water turbidity above…

Unincorporated Cobb County requires stormwater management measures designed to the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual on qualifying development, combining structural and…

In unincorporated Cobb County, new residential development in the floodplain must keep at least 12,500 square feet of contiguous buildable land 18 inches above the base flood…

Unincorporated Cobb County requires a development permit before any grading, filling, or construction inside an area of special flood hazard, and won't approve work unless it meets the…

Unincorporated Cobb County's RR rural residential district permits farming outright: field crops, orchards, dairies, and livestock on two or more acres are listed permitted uses, not…

Cobb County requires four-or-fewer EV charging stations on multifamily or nonresidential property to sit at least 20 feet from side or rear lines, out of front setbacks and buffers.

Cobb County Code Section 134-277 bans junk, wrecked, dismantled, inoperative, abandoned or unregistered vehicles, mobile homes and trailers from sitting on any zoned property in the…

Unincorporated Cobb County bars any truck or freight vehicle over 12,500 pounds gross weight from parking or standing on a public street or highway for more than one hour, day or…

In Cobb County business districts, on-street parking is capped at two hours between 1:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., with shorter limits where the traffic engineer posts signs.

Cobb County restricts freight curb loading zones to actual loading and unloading of materials; a passenger vehicle may only stop briefly and must not block a waiting freight vehicle.

In most single-family districts, Cobb County caps rear- and side-yard parking to one vehicle, one boat, and one RV, combined, on a hardened surface.

In unincorporated Cobb County, the county's traffic engineer, the director of the Department of Transportation, is the only official who may designate a bus stop, and every bus stop so…

Cobb County bans parking on unhardened ground countywide, and front-yard parking in residential districts must sit on a paved driveway, carport, or garage.

Cobb County allows home occupations as a zoning-permitted accessory use only if they stay inside the dwelling, employ just residents, and use no more than 25 percent of the home.

Cobb County's zoning code bans any exterior sign or evidence of a home-based business in unincorporated areas, including identifying signage of any kind.

Cobb County's zoning code bars home-based businesses in unincorporated areas from hosting clients or customers, except for one-on-one instruction like tutoring or music lessons.

Unincorporated Cobb County allows in-home day care as a permitted use in every single-family residential zoning district, from R-80 through RA-5. The zoning code caps paid enrollment…

Cobb County requires new conveyor car washes built after January 1, 2011 to install operational recycled water systems that reuse at least half of the water they use.

Cobb County treats a visible, unrepaired outdoor leak of more than one gallon a minute as water waste, subjecting the property owner to the same penalties as illegal watering.

Cobb County requires anyone doing pavement cuts, curb cuts or utility work in a county right-of-way to get Department of Transportation approval first.

In unincorporated Cobb County, sidewalks and other rights-of-way must stay clear of unnecessary obstructions. Placing any structure or material there, including junk or debris, without…

Cobb County caps electronic sign brightness at 0.30 footcandles above ambient light and requires static messages held at least ten seconds.

In unincorporated Cobb County, a garage-sale sign posted at your own residence is exempt from the sign permit process only if it is six square feet or smaller and the total of all…

Unincorporated Cobb County caps window signage at 50 percent of the glass surface on each individual pane, whether the sign is permanent or temporary, under Zoning Code § 134-314(o)…

Cobb County requires a parade permit for any parade of 25 or more people or five or more vehicles on county streets, with exceptions for funerals and school groups.

Cobb County zoning treats street fairs as a temporary use limited to 30 days, requiring adequate off-street parking for the event in unincorporated areas.

Cobb County's lighting-plan ordinance requires developers to control stray light so it doesn't trespass onto adjacent properties or roadways, backed by a required plan showing every…

Door-to-door salespeople in unincorporated Cobb County must apply, pass a police background check, and hold a permit from the police department before soliciting house to house.

In unincorporated Cobb County, a door-to-door salesperson cannot cross the threshold without the occupant's express invitation, and a posted "no soliciting" sign bars any solicitation…

Cobb County zoning caps garage and yard sales at three weekends per calendar year, with each sale limited to three days, under the unincorporated county's personal-property-sales rule.

Mobile food vendors in unincorporated Cobb County need both a county business license and a food service permit from the Cobb and Douglas Public Health Department before selling.

In unincorporated Cobb County, mobile food vendors cannot operate in the public right-of-way at all. Vending is allowed only at organized mobile food vendor events, at private events…

In unincorporated Cobb County, mobile food vendors cannot sell from sidewalks or any public right-of-way. County Code § 78-97(a) prohibits operating there outright unless a specific…

Cobb County levies an excise tax on hotel, motel and short-term lodging stays in the unincorporated county; the rate is set by resolution of the board of commissioners under state law…

Cobb County caps residential retaining wall height at six feet when built within five feet of the property line, letting height grow five feet for every additional five feet of setback.

Cobb County caps fences and freestanding walls at eight feet, cutting the limit to six feet where a fence sits along a road right-of-way or in a front or side yard.

In unincorporated Cobb County, condominiums or townhomes built to replace demolished multifamily housing in the RM-8 or RM-12 districts can add up to 15 percent more units than were…

Unincorporated Cobb County regulates redevelopment in old Downtown Mableton under County Code Section 134-286, a form-based code tied to the boundaries mapped in Table 1C of the South…

Every business in unincorporated Cobb County is classified under Code § 78-33 by Standard Industrial Classification major group, using the single line of goods or services that…

Vacant and abandoned lots in unincorporated Cobb County that violate the 12-inch weed limit get mowed by the county at the owner's expense instead of a court citation.

Property owners in unincorporated Cobb County must maintain buildings and lots in compliance with applicable codes, keep them free of health and safety hazards, and properly maintain…

Cobb County parks close at 11 p.m. for active facilities and at sunset for passive parks; only authorized staff or approved activities may continue after hours.

In unincorporated Cobb County, principal residential structures are capped at 35 feet under the zoning code's single-family district rules. Height runs from the mean ground elevation…

Unincorporated Cobb County fixes minimum yard setbacks by zoning district in the Chapter 134 bulk-regulations table, with each district's own code section applying the numbers. On a…

Cobb County's historic preservation commission can designate landmarks worthy of preservation for architectural, historic, or cultural significance, which then requires commission…

Cobb County requires a county building permit before any pool or spa construction begins, and only a Georgia-licensed general contractor or a certified pool builder may pull that…

In Cobb County's R-80 zoning district, a carport counts as an accessory structure: units under 144 square feet need only a 5-foot property-line setback, but larger carports must meet…