Business Licensing & Operations in Columbia County, GA (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Columbia County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Adult bookstores, adult entertainment establishments, and adult theaters may locate only in C-2 and C-3 zoning under section 90-138, and even there they must sit at least 500 feet from homes, libraries, and churches, and 1,000 feet from any school or college.
Columbia County Adult Business Spacing Rules
Significant RestrictionsColumbia County, GA, Code of Ordinances § 90-138
(a)Adult bookstores, adult entertainment establishments and adult theaters (referred to in this section as "adult uses") may be permitted in the C-2 and C-3 zoning districts, provided that the following location requirements must be complied with. No adult bookstore, adult entertainment establishment or adult theater shall be located in any of the following:(1)Within 500 feet of the lot line of...
Massage Establishments
Columbia County requires anyone offering massage services in the unincorporated area to hold an operator's license under Code of Ordinances § 22-77 before opening. Applicants must be state-licensed massage therapists living within 50 miles, pass a Sheriff's Office/GBI fingerprint background check under § 22-90, and operate only between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. under § 22-73.
Columbia County Massage Establishment License
Significant RestrictionsColumbia County, GA, Code of Ordinances § 22-77
Any person or entity desiring to engage in the business of offering or providing massage services, in the unincorporated areas of the county, before doing so, shall apply for and obtain an operator's license.
Tattoo & Body Modification
Body art establishments and artists in Columbia County must hold a current body art license from the board of health and pay an annual inspection fee. Implants, 3-D procedures and tattooing minors are outright prohibited.
Columbia County Tattoo & Body Art Licensing
Significant RestrictionsColumbia County, GA, Code of Ordinances §§ 46-105, 46-106
Body art studios shall not be allowed in the same building that is used for human habitation, any food service establishment, retail sales, hotel rooms or similar areas. ... The following body art procedures shall not be performed in Columbia County, Georgia. (1)Implants, 3-D procedures or other procedures involving insertion of foreign objects under the skin are prohibited.(2)Any body art proc...
Secondhand Dealers
Anyone buying precious metals or gems for resale at a permanent Columbia County location must pay the occupational tax under Sec. 22-101 and then follow Sec. 22-117's recordkeeping mandate: every purchase needs the seller's photo ID copy, digital photograph, right-thumb fingerprint, and an item description logged into the Sheriff's Office electronic reporting system as a permanent record.
Columbia County Precious Metals Dealer Rules
Some RestrictionsColumbia County, GA, Code of Ordinances § 22-117
(a)Every dealer in precious metals or gems shall maintain a record, in permanent form, in which shall be entered at the time of each purchase of precious metals or gems or goods made from precious metals or gems the follows:(1)The date and time of the purchase;(2)The name of the person making the purchase or pawn from the seller;(3)The name, age, and address of the seller of the items purchased...
Pawnbrokers
Any pawnbroker or pawnshop doing business in Columbia County must pay the occupational tax and hold a certificate under Sec. 22-101 before opening, then follow the Sheriff's Office regime in Chapter 22, Article VI: daily electronic transaction reporting, a mandatory ten-day hold on every pledged or purchased item, and a ban on pawning or selling to anyone under 18.
Columbia County Pawnbroker Licensing Rules
Some RestrictionsColumbia County, GA, Code of Ordinances § 22-101
Any person, firm, or corporation who does business in Columbia County as a pawnbroker, pawnshop, dealer in precious metals or gems, or itinerant dealers in precious metals or gems shall, before engaging in such business, pay the appropriate occupational tax as required to obtain an occupational tax certificate in accordance with part 2, chapter 78, article V, section 78-138 of the Columbia Coun...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Columbia County flatly bars vehicle repair, along with car washes, vehicle sales, and vehicle leasing, from operating as a home occupation under section 90-142(e)(1); no permit or provisional approval lets a residential property run an auto repair business.
Columbia County Home Auto Repair Ban
Heavy RestrictionsColumbia County, GA, Code of Ordinances § 90-142(e)(1)
(e)The following are prohibited as home occupations:(1)Vehicle-related businesses including car washes, vehicle repair, service, sales, and leasing.(2)Adult businesses, as defined in section 90-9.(3)Indoor or outdoor recreation facilities except where specifically allowed under section 90-50.
Towing Companies
Any wrecker operator working in Columbia County must hold a county towing permit before joining the sheriff's rotating call list, and cannot chase or solicit business at accident scenes unless dispatched by the sheriff's department. Permits are classified A, B or C by truck capacity and expire December 31 each year under Code of Ordinances §§ 82-179, 82-186, 82-187.
Columbia County Wrecker Operator Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsColumbia County, GA, Code of Ordinances §§ 82-179, 82-187(a)-(b)
No operator shall be placed on the call list as set forth in section 82-178 prior to obtaining a towing permit from the county, as provided for in this article, for each wrecker vehicle used by such operator. Permits will be issued for class A, B and C wrecker vehicles, depending on which of the requirements set forth in section 82-177 the wrecker vehicle being permitted meets. ... An operator ...
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