Glynn County, GA Ordinances (2026)

In unincorporated Glynn County it is unlawful to own or harbor a dog or other animal whose barking, howling, crying or yelping is unreasonably loud and disturbs the peace and quiet of…

Amplified and mechanical sound equipment audible more than 1,000 feet away between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. requires written permission from the Glynn County Police Chief, who weighs…

Glynn County restricts where aircraft engines can be run up at its airports. Engines may only be started and tested in locations the Executive Director approves, and warm-up or testing…

Glynn County's own noise ordinance defers car-stereo volume to state law: O.C.G.A. § 40-6-14 bars an in-vehicle sound system from being plainly audible 100 feet away. Separately…

Glynn County tightens its noise limit overnight. Mechanical sound-making devices that can be plainly audible up to 300 feet away are allowed between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., but from…

Glynn County bars construction noise from crossing a residential property line overnight and caps how far it can carry the rest of the day. Between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. it cannot…

Glynn County bars loading and unloading boxes, crates, containers or garbage cans and dumpsters between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. if the noise carries across a residential property line…

Glynn County's noise ordinance treats bass reverberations as regulated noise, not an exception. The ordinance's core "plainly audible" standard, the yardstick used for every mechanical…

Unincorporated Glynn County limits audible consumer fireworks to 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily, with later windows on New Year's and July 3-4, and requires a Police Chief permit to…

Glynn County's Fire Prevention Code restricts liquefied petroleum gas storage to 250 gallons on residential property and 500 gallons in commercially zoned areas, and requires every…

Open burning of tires, plastics, heavy oils, and asphaltic materials is banned countywide, and all other outdoor burning in unincorporated Glynn County is limited to specific listed…

Every short-term rental in unincorporated Glynn County must have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in every bedroom and on each habitable floor, plus a charged fire…

Glynn County bars anyone under 18 from public streets, alleys and parks between midnight and 5:00 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent, headed to or from work, or coming from a school…

Most Glynn County parks close to the public between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., with Coast Guard Park closing at 6:00 a.m. during daylight saving time, and entering or parking during…

Entering, remaining in or parking at a Glynn County park, historic site or recreational area during hours the Board of Commissioners has closed it to the public requires a permit…

Festival organizers in unincorporated Glynn County can register once and pay a single occupation tax covering every vendor at the event, with rates from $150 to $600 depending on how…

Any parade, demonstration or public assembly of more than 100 people on Glynn County property requires a permit from the Police Chief. The Public Conduct Ordinance requires…

On St. Simons Island, Glynn County bars riding, driving or taking bicycles, skateboards, scooters or unauthorized motorized vehicles onto the St. Simons Island Pier, one of several…

Glynn County holds the adult in charge of a party or social event liable for its noise. Whoever resides at, rents or is present in charge of the premises can be cited if the event is…

Under the Glynn County Open Container Ordinance, no driver or passenger may have an open container or broken package of alcohol in a motor vehicle on a public road in unincorporated…

Glynn County's Smoke-free Air Ordinance bars smoking within 25 feet outside any enclosed public facility where smoking is banned. A 2013 amendment goes further at the Harold Pate…

Occupying, blocking, or "inappropriately using" a public area in unincorporated Glynn County, outside Jekyll Island, is unlawful under the county's Camping Ordinance unless a…

Crossing a State or Federal highway outside a marked crosswalk is illegal in unincorporated Glynn County whenever the crossing point sits within 1,100 feet of a crosswalk on that same…

In unincorporated Glynn County, soliciting money or goods is barred in public areas outright and further restricted by distance: no closer than 30 feet to an ATM or bank, 10 feet to a…

Unincorporated Glynn County bans open burning countywide, but cooking food for immediate human consumption on a grill, smoker or open flame is expressly exempted. The exemption still…

Taxis, limousines, buses and transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft cannot pick up or drop off at a Glynn County-owned airport without the Glynn County Airport…

Bicycles and e-bikes may ride Glynn County's multi-use paths outside Jekyll Island at up to 15 mph, with riders under 16 and every Class III electric-assisted bicycle rider required to…

Electric scooters and similar "electric play vehicles" may use Glynn County's multi-use paths outside Jekyll Island at up to 15 mph, but no wheeled conveyance may operate on the…

Pawnbrokers doing business in unincorporated Glynn County must report every pledged, traded, or purchased item to the County Police Chief at least weekly, photograph each customer and…

Wrecker services answering Glynn County Police rotational calls must register with the Police Department and cannot charge more than $135.00 for a tow or $20.00 per full 24-hour day of…

Operating a body art (tattoo) studio, or personally performing body art procedures, in unincorporated Glynn County requires a permit issued under the Rules and Regulations for Body…

Anyone buying jewelry for resale in unincorporated Glynn County, other than a jeweler, antique dealer or pawnbroker, needs a county business license and a dealer permit under the…

In unincorporated Glynn County, operating an adult arcade, bookstore, cabaret, motel, theater, escort agency or massage parlor without an adult entertainment license is unlawful. The…

Auto repair garages cannot operate as a home occupation anywhere in unincorporated Glynn County. Section 608.2 specifically excludes auto repair garages, along with restaurants, rest…

Anyone selling goods or services door-to-door in unincorporated Glynn County must obtain a solicitor's permit from the Finance Department, pass a Police Department background check…

Unincorporated Glynn County residents can add their address to the Finance Department's free No Solicitation List, and every permitted solicitor must carry a copy and stay off listed…

Glynn County classifies 22 professions, including lawyers, physicians, engineers, and licensed vehicle dealers, under O.C.G.A. § 48-13-9(c). These practitioners choose between the…

Glynn County designates specific no-parking, tow-away zones along dozens of St. Simons Island streets, from Driftwood and Beachview Drive to Demere Road and the Coast Guard Station…

Glynn County prohibits overnight parking in any roadway median, allowing only emergency parking of up to 24 hours. A median is any property completely surrounded by roadways that has…

Glynn County bans leaving any recreational vehicle or boat trailer parked overnight on Myrtle Street, Cedar Street and Postell Avenue in the St. Simons Island Village. The ban does not…

Unincorporated Glynn County makes it unlawful to abandon a motor vehicle, applying the standard of O.C.G.A. § 40-11-1 under County Code § 2-16-238, with disposal handled under O.C.G.A…

In unincorporated Glynn County, any new commercial, industrial, government or multi-family building must provide off-street loading space sized at least ten feet wide, 50 feet long and…

Homeowners in unincorporated Glynn County may keep one commercial vehicle at a residence, but Section 609.1(b) caps it at ¾-ton capacity or less per family, on top of the household's…

Unincorporated Glynn County treats yard and garage sales as tax-exempt casual sales only if a household or nonprofit holds no more than four such sales per year, at a private residence…

Glynn County's Clean Community Ordinance bans dumping, discarding or dropping litter on any public or private property or waters in the unincorporated county unless it goes into an…

In unincorporated Glynn County, oversized yard debris must be bundled to no more than 36 by 24 by 24 inches and 40 pounds for curbside pickup, while bulky household items such as…

Every commercial establishment in unincorporated Glynn County must keep an on-site bulk container for its trash under Code Section 2-16-267, installed so it doesn't create wind-driven…

Glynn County's Clean Community Ordinance requires anyone using a public or authorized recycling or trash receptacle to place items so they cannot be carried off by wind or water onto a…

In unincorporated Glynn County, County Code § 2-16-254(b) sets the placement window for curbside refuse: containers go out no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the evening before pickup and no…

Unincorporated Glynn County's collection code, § 2-16-255, bars leaving refuse piled up on lots, streets or alleys as an unpermitted public nuisance, and separately makes it unlawful…

Unincorporated Glynn County's Solid Waste Collection Ordinance, § 2-16-262, applies to every unincorporated area except Jekyll Island State Park and assesses a mandatory fee on every…

In unincorporated Glynn County, no building permit for a swimming pool can be issued until the pool is approved and built to the Board of Health's swimming pool rules under Code…

Operating a food truck, trailer or pushcart in unincorporated Glynn County requires a valid Board of Health food service permit under Code Section 2-21-4, and running one while a…

Glynn County bars anyone from selling, renting or leasing a dwelling, day care, school, clinic or other child-serving facility, including its grounds and outbuildings, that violates…

Every short-term rental in unincorporated Glynn County must have working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in every bedroom and on all habitable floors, plus a charged fire…

Any construction, alteration, repair, or demolition of a building in unincorporated Glynn County must follow the 2006 International Building Code with Georgia amendments, administered…

All electrical work in unincorporated Glynn County must follow the 2005 National Electrical Code with Georgia amendments, and current cannot be turned on until the Building Official…

Plumbing work in unincorporated Glynn County needs a permit from the Building Official under the 2006 International Plumbing Code with Georgia amendments before work begins, generally…

A private childcare center, kindergarten, or pre-school allowed as a special use in Glynn County's residential and Forest Agricultural zoning districts must provide at least 35 square…

In unincorporated Glynn County, every approved construction project needs periodic inspections during construction, arranged through the Building Inspection Division, and contractors…

In unincorporated Glynn County, outdoor watering of lawns, gardens, trees and shrubs with Utility water may only happen between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. Watering lawns or washing…

Unincorporated Glynn County sets no fixed inch limit for grass or weeds, but County Code § 2-16-237(b) makes it unlawful for any owner, manager or occupant to let grass or weeds go…

On St. Simons Island, clearing or removing trees on commercial property, on residential lots of one acre or more, or in the Village Preservation District requires an approved Tree Plan…

Glynn County Utility customers must promptly investigate any unusually high water bill and repair leaks at their own expense, but customers who report a leak and complete repairs can…

In unincorporated Glynn County, anyone who uses or discards hypodermic needles, syringes, or injection devices must dispose of them in puncture-resistant, leak-proof containers labeled…

Unincorporated Glynn County bars dumping litter on open or vacant land under County Code § 2-16-243.3, whether or not the person dropping it owns the parcel. A related duty at §…

Glynn County's Nuisance Abatement Ordinance lets the county declare a dilapidated, unsafe or code-violating dwelling, building or structure in the unincorporated area a public nuisance…

Glynn County requires a land-disturbance permit and stormwater management plan for new development adding 5,000 square feet or more of impervious surface, or disturbing an acre or more…

Unincorporated Glynn County requires a Development Permit before any building or land-disturbing work in a FEMA-designated Area of Special Flood Hazard. County Code §§ 2-5-126 through…

In unincorporated Glynn County flood zones A1-30, AE and AH with mapped base flood elevation data, new construction and substantial improvements must set the lowest floor, including…

Before disturbing land in unincorporated Glynn County, most projects need a land-disturbing permit from the County Engineer, a $50.00 review fee, and a plan meeting state…

In unincorporated Glynn County, a private, non-commercial boat dock is a permitted accessory use on a residential lot and a permitted use in the CP Conservation Preservation District…

In unincorporated Glynn County, a nuisance or unsafe-building complaint reaches the Planning and Zoning Director, the county's 'public officer,' through a request from any public…

Once the Glynn County public officer files a nuisance complaint in Magistrate Court, the hearing must happen 15 to 45 days later. If the court orders repair or demolition and the owner…

Glynn County code enforcement treats a specific list of property conditions as automatic nuisances in the unincorporated county: smoke or fumes that annoy neighbors, dangerous or…

Glynn County's short-term rental certificate fee is tiered by filing date: $150.00 before July 1, $75.00 from July through November, or $175.00 on or after December 1 (which then…

Glynn County caps overnight occupancy of every short-term rental at two guests per bedroom plus two more, with a hard ceiling of 15 people, unless the county grants a variance for a…

No home in unincorporated Glynn County, outside Jekyll Island, may be rented short-term without an Accommodation Excise Tax Certificate from the Finance Department. The application…

Glynn County caps overnight occupancy at a Short-Term Rental to the ordinance's maximum occupancy rate between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., and every rental must post the county's noise…

Glynn County requires every Short-Term Rental to post a maximum vehicle count, mark on-site parking spaces for guests, and send guests parking instructions before arrival, under Glynn…

Glynn County does not require an owner to live on site, but every Short-Term Rental Certificate holder must keep a Local Point of Contact on file who is reachable 24 hours a day and…

Glynn County does not make liability insurance mandatory for short-term rentals. Applicants for an Accommodation Excise Tax Certificate must only affirm they understand that the county…

Glynn County fines short-term rental owners $250 for a first ordinance violation, $500 for a second, and $1,000 for a third or later violation within any 12-month period, under Glynn…

Glynn County's Short-Term Rental Ordinance only reaches stays of 30 consecutive days or less. A tenancy of more than 30 consecutive days to the same person, or a pre- or post-closing…

Anyone who wants to obstruct, excavate, or alter a public road, sidewalk, or right-of-way in unincorporated Glynn County needs a permit first under the county's Rights-of-Way…

Blocking a sidewalk, road, or beach access in unincorporated Glynn County without a permit is unlawful once you fail to remove it after an official request, and blocking public beach…

Glynn County levies a 7 percent lodging tax on every guest-room occupancy in a hotel, campground, or rented residence in the unincorporated area, effective for occupancy on or after…

On land within a Glynn County Coastal High Hazard Area (V-Zone), where storm surge and wave action from hurricanes drive the flood risk, new construction and substantial improvements…

Once the Board of Commissioners declares a state of emergency, Glynn County can enter public and private roads, rights-of-way, storm drainage easements, and even private residential…

Glynn County does not regulate dogs by breed. Instead, its Dog Control Officer classifies a dog as dangerous or vicious after an incident, following Georgia's Responsible Dog Ownership…

Glynn County regulates cats the same way it regulates dogs: Section 2-4-5(a) makes it a violation for an owner to let a cat run at large, defined as being off a leash and out of the…

Every dog owner in unincorporated Glynn County must keep the dog under voice command or on a leash under Section 2-4-5(b). Parks cap leashes at ten feet, and dogs are barred from the…

An animal hospital or boarding facility is a permitted, by-right use in Glynn County's Forest Agricultural (FA) zoning district, listed alongside farms, tree farms, wildlife refuges…

In unincorporated Glynn County, the zoning ordinance caps residential lots at three dogs and cats over four months old. Property owners on a lot of at least 6,000 square feet with a…

Backyard chickens and other livestock are barred outright in Glynn County's standard one-family residential districts (R-6, R-9, M-6, M-9), where Section 701.2 permits only…

Glynn County allows a home occupation in any residential district under Section 608.1, but only within tight limits: no employees on site besides resident family members, no more than…

Unincorporated Glynn County treats a home caring for six or fewer children for pay as a Family Day Care Home under Section 302 of the zoning ordinance, which folds it into the home…

A home occupation in unincorporated Glynn County can have exactly one sign advertising it: Section 608.1(f) requires that the business be 'not visibly evident from outside the…

Camping, storing personal property, or sleeping in any public park, street, sidewalk, or other public area in unincorporated Glynn County is unlawful under Glynn County Code § 2-32-3…

In Glynn County's R-6, R-9, M-6, M-9, Mh-6 and Mh-9 one-family residential districts, homes must sit back at least 20 feet from the front property line, seven feet from each side line…

Homes and other buildings in unincorporated Glynn County's standard one-family residential districts top out at 35 feet under Section 701.5(8), the same ceiling used across most R-6…

Glynn County caps site coverage, the share of a lot covered by buildings, parking, driveways, pools, and similar improvements, mainly through district-specific rules on St. Simons…

Every tree growing on Glynn County property, including road rights-of-way, parks, and government buildings and yards, is a protected tree under the Tree Canopy Preservation Ordinance…

A Live Oak measuring 38 inches DBH or greater anywhere on St. Simons Island, regardless of zoning or lot size, is classified as a protected mature Live Oak. It cannot be removed…

Glynn County's tree ordinance doesn't ban invasive plants outright, but it strips them of legal value: invasive species and certain non-native trees can't count toward the required…

Glynn County's code has no standalone right-to-farm nuisance-immunity statute; its protection for farming comes through zoning instead. The Forest Agricultural (FA) District is set…

In unincorporated Glynn County, a shed or tool room used to store yard or building-maintenance equipment is a permitted accessory use under the zoning ordinance, but it still must meet…

In unincorporated Glynn County, the zoning ordinance does not set a blanket fence height for every yard, but it does cap fence height at street corners and private-drive intersections…

In unincorporated Glynn County, the zoning ordinance requires nearly all exterior light fixtures to be fully shielded, cutoff luminaires so the bulb cannot be seen from an adjoining…

In unincorporated Glynn County, outdoor lighting cannot exceed five-tenths of a foot-candle above background measured at the lot line of any adjoining residential district, and…

Externally lit billboards in unincorporated Glynn County must run on time clocks or photo-electric cells, and neon, running lights or animation are banned outright. If the Glynn County…

Digital billboards, called electronic variable message signs under Glynn County's Zoning Ordinance, are confined to commercial and industrial districts (or need a Special Use Permit…

Outdoor advertising signs facing Glynn County's freeways are confined to Highway Commercial, Freeway Commercial, General Commercial, Limited and Basic Industrial, Planned Development…

Temporary political signs in unincorporated Glynn County's residential districts, including the R-6 through R-20, RE, GR, MR and HR districts, cannot exceed six square feet under §…

In the St. Simons Village Design Review Overlay District, unincorporated Glynn County requires Islands Planning Commission approval before any building, structure, wall, sidewalk or…

Before any building in the St. Simons Village Design Review Overlay can be torn down, unincorporated Glynn County requires the Islands Planning Commission to weigh four preservation…

Unincorporated Glynn County ties homeowners association formation to Planned Development approval: under § 723.3(c)(n) of the Zoning Ordinance, if a developer has not made other…