Gwinnett County, GA Ordinances (2026)

Gwinnett County caps amplified sound at outdoor performance venues, defined as private outdoor property where making sound is the primary lawful use, at 500 feet plainly audible during…

Gwinnett County's noise ordinance exempts aircraft and Gwinnett County Airport operations, deferring entirely to state and federal aviation noise regulation.

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, sound from any building in a nonresidential zoning district may not be plainly audible beyond 500 feet by day or 200 feet overnight.

Gwinnett County bars leaf blowers, mowers, weed eaters, and other motorized landscape equipment inside a residential area or within 300 feet of one between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m…

Gwinnett County's residual quiet-hours rule bars sound plainly audible 300 feet or more from a home between 8:00/11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., dropping to a 50-foot limit overnight, under…

Weekday construction noise in unincorporated Gwinnett County has to stay quiet outside 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday work is limited to 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and it's banned…

Motor vehicles driven on unincorporated Gwinnett County roads must run a working muffler so exhaust noise is not plainly audible 100 feet or more away.

Unincorporated Gwinnett County bans letting a dog or other animal vocalize continuously for more than 15 minutes, or intermittently for more than 30 minutes, if neighbors off the…

Standalone mobile food service units operating in unincorporated Gwinnett County need a temporary outdoor activity permit from the Department of Planning and Development under UDO…

Street vendors, transient vendors, and flea market vendors in unincorporated Gwinnett County can't use the small-business casual-sale exemption: county code requires them to get an…

Standalone mobile food units in unincorporated Gwinnett County may only set up on office, commercial, or mixed-use zoned property that already has a principal building, and must stay…

Inside the Venture Drive Redevelopment Overlay District, a data center is listed as a Special Use requiring a Special Use Permit, not a by-right industrial use.

Gwinnett County can order repair, closure, or demolition of any unincorporated-area dwelling or structure found unfit for human habitation, with abatement costs recovered through a…

Owners of vacant and occupied lots alike in unincorporated Gwinnett County must keep exterior property free of garbage, rubbish, litter, and trash under the county's sanitation…

Owners of unincorporated Gwinnett properties with required street trees must trim and prune them to International Society of Arboriculture standards, keeping trees healthy along…

Gwinnett County caps grass, weeds and uncultivated vegetation on unincorporated lots at 12 inches under Code § 14-286(a), and separately bars letting yard trimmings pile up on the…

Gwinnett County's solid waste code expressly allows residential service unit owners to compost on their own property.

Developers in unincorporated Gwinnett County must retain or replant trees to reach 16 Tree Density Units per acre -- 20 in Overlay Districts, 24 for limited land disturbance.

Gwinnett County bans wasting water under County Code Sec. 106-59, which defines waste as any use that sends a trail of flowing water more than 50 feet off the property, irrigating for…

Selling or giving away animals on public property or someone else's private property is banned in unincorporated Gwinnett County unless the seller is a licensed shelter, vet, dealer…

Gwinnett County requires an unaltered dog or cat to be spayed or neutered at the owner's expense before release, once it's been impounded twice in a year or four times total.

Collecting animals without adequate care, or keeping them in filthy conditions that endanger the animals or neighboring residents, is a standalone hoarding violation under the county…

Keeping a wild or exotic animal in unincorporated Gwinnett County requires state permits and is confined to the RA-200 agricultural district, where it still needs a county Special Use…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County allows backyard beekeeping on lots of at least 10,000 square feet, capped at two hives per 10,000 square feet with strict setbacks.

In non-agricultural residential zoning districts of unincorporated Gwinnett County, keeping chickens requires a 10,500-square-foot lot minimum, a secure pen with setbacks, and a flat…

Georgia bars breed-specific bans, so Gwinnett County instead requires owners of dogs individually classified as dangerous or vicious to obtain a nontransferable certificate of…

Gwinnett County will not issue the mandatory certificate of registration for a dog classified dangerous or vicious until it has been microchipped between the shoulder blades and the…

Gwinnett County's community cat program exempts identified stray cats from registration, licensing and stray-animal rules, and bars animal welfare from impounding a healthy, ear-tipped…

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, an Animal Hospital or Veterinary Clinic is allowed only in the RA-200 Agriculture-Residence District, and only as a Special Use requiring Board of…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County requires every dog to be kept under restraint or control, fenced, on an approved containment system, or on a leash, and bans single-point tethering…

Gwinnett County's noise ordinance defines "sound" to expressly include bass reverberations, and "plainly audible" to expressly include low frequency sound reverberations, so a…

Gwinnett County's noise code specifically calls out testing of car alarms as regulated "sound," so an alarm going off and carrying past the article's distance limits is a noise…

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, a bar or nightclub's amplified sound cannot be audible 300 feet into a residential area by day or 100 feet overnight.

Anyone storing liquefied petroleum gas in bulk in unincorporated Gwinnett County must comply with both the county zoning resolution and the state fire safety commissioner's LP-gas…

Open burning in unincorporated Gwinnett County runs through the fire marshal's office: land-clearing pit fires need a 30-day burn permit, while yard-debris, warming, cooking, and…

Gwinnett County bans possessing, displaying, using, or igniting fireworks, firecrackers, smoke bombs, rockets, or black powder guns in any county park or recreation facility unless the…

Burning leaves, limbs, and yard vegetation in unincorporated Gwinnett is allowed without a permit, but only 50 feet from structures, 25 feet from a property line, and kept small.

Gwinnett County has no standalone smoke-alarm ordinance; instead, Code § 42-19 adopts the State Minimum Fire Safety Standards by reference, and that incorporated state code is what…

Massage and spa establishments in unincorporated Gwinnett County must get a dedicated county license on top of the standard occupation tax certificate, and owners or therapists with…

Anyone opening a pawnshop in unincorporated Gwinnett County must first get an annual $100 permit from the police department, backed by a criminal-history background check, separate…

Gwinnett County regulates tattoo and body-piercing studios by adopting the State Board of Public Health's body art rules as county law under County Code § 46-5.

Gwinnett County keeps adult establishments 1,000 feet from other adult businesses, residential zones, schools, churches and parks in the unincorporated county.

Secondhand dealers in unincorporated Gwinnett County skip the precious-metals dealer's tax certificate and work permit, but they must still keep detailed transaction records, buyer ID…

Before Gwinnett County issues an occupation tax certificate to a wrecker service, Code § 18-44(b)(37) requires the company to hold an amber-light permit, and any wrecker that contracts…

Charcoal, wood, and gas grills in unincorporated Gwinnett must stay off combustible balconies and 10 feet from combustible construction, except at one- and two-family homes.

Family day care homes for 4-6 children in unincorporated Gwinnett must get fire plan approval, inspections, and a certificate of occupancy before opening.

Unincorporated Gwinnett allows customary home occupations as a conditional use in every residential zoning district, but caps them at 25% of the dwelling and family-only staffing…

Gwinnett County caps in-home client visits under UDO § 210-140.9(C): a Customary Home Occupation can serve no more than two clients in the residence at any one time, service hours run…

UDO § 210-140.9(E) bars any exterior evidence that a residence is running a Customary Home Occupation in unincorporated Gwinnett County: no signs, displays or visible storage of…

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, outdoor party noise at a residence can't be plainly audible 300+ feet away 8 a.m.-10 p.m. weeknights, or 50+ feet after 10 p.m., under County Code §…

Gwinnett County makes possessing one ounce or less of marijuana anywhere in the county, including in public, a misdemeanor ordinance violation under County Code § 66-3.

Gwinnett County makes it unlawful to loiter or prowl anywhere in a way that raises a reasonable, justified alarm for public safety, to block traffic by congregating in a public way…

Gwinnett County bans aggressive panhandling outright and layers on location-specific bans: no soliciting within 20 feet of a bank or ATM, within ten feet of a building entrance, from…

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, it's a violation to possess or appear to drink alcohol on the premises of any business that isn't a licensed retail consumption dealer, including…

Gwinnett County code enforcement treats grass, weeds, and uncultivated vegetation over 12 inches tall on vacant property as a public nuisance because it harbors rodents, insects, and…

Canvassers and solicitors in unincorporated Gwinnett County can't knock between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, can't solicit at all on Sunday, and must skip any home…

Anyone canvassing or soliciting door-to-door in unincorporated Gwinnett County without an invitation must first get an occupation tax certificate from the licensing and revenue…

Gwinnett County levies an 8 percent excise tax on hotel, motel and short-term rental charges under code section 94-26, paid by the occupant to the operator or marketplace facilitator…

Non-residential and multifamily parking lot lighting in unincorporated Gwinnett County must use fully shielded cutoff fixtures with LED sources under UDO Section 240-100.1(A); drop…

An electronic oversized sign or digital billboard in unincorporated Gwinnett County cannot run brighter than 0.30 foot-candles above ambient light, measured at a distance set by the…

Non-residential and multifamily developments in unincorporated Gwinnett County must use fully shielded, cutoff parking-lot fixtures aimed so their light cone doesn't spill across a…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County caps holiday and promotional inflatables at 20 feet tall and 150 square feet in non-residential zones, or 4 feet and 16 square feet in residential zones…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County bans new billboards outright but lets owners convert an existing non-conforming oversized sign to electronic display only by removing at least three…

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, window signs for any single tenant cannot cover more than 20 percent of that tenant's window space per building elevation, and compliant signs need…

High-rise buildings ten stories or taller that are visible from I-85, I-985, US-78 or SR-316 in Gwinnett County may carry a larger 360-square-foot building sign under the dimensional…

Gwinnett County holds rental housing to the International Property Maintenance Code, adopted at Code § 14-349 and amended by § 14-350 to apply only to structures that are rented out…

UDO § 210-120 caps building height at 35 feet across Gwinnett County's six single-family districts, RA-200 through R-SR, then steps up for higher-density housing: 40 feet in R-TH…

UDO § 210-120 sets minimum front, side and rear yard setbacks for every base residential district in unincorporated Gwinnett County. RA-200 and R-LL require the deepest yards, 35 feet…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County caps building footprint under UDO § 210-120: 25% of lot area in the RA-200 and R-LL districts, 45% in R-100, 55% in R-75, 60% in R-60, and 70% in R-SR…

Unincorporated Gwinnett allows livestock as an agricultural use in RA-200 zoning outright, and on any residential parcel of 3+ acres with the owner's home, under UDO Section 210-140.2.

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, retaining walls within 10 feet of a front property line are capped at 4 feet, and walls visible from neighbors or the right-of-way must be tiered and…

Fences in a required front yard on lots under 3 acres must be brick, stone, wood, wrought iron, or split rail, and junk materials like pallets, tires, and scrap metal are banned as…

Gwinnett County lets homeowners build a fence up to 8 feet without a permit, but masonry or concrete fencing over 4 feet, pilasters over 6 feet, and retaining walls over 4 feet (or any…

Fences in unincorporated Gwinnett County cannot exceed 4 feet within the required front yard setback or 8 feet anywhere else on the lot under UDO Section 230-80.1. Five carve-outs in…

Anyone who wants to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move, or demolish a structure in unincorporated Gwinnett County must first apply for and get a permit from the building official…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs must follow the adopted Georgia State Minimum Standard Plumbing Code and get a permit before work…

Gwinnett County requires a permit before any electrical system work covered by the state electrical code, under Appendix B § 106.1 of its Construction Code. The county adopts the…

Gwinnett County's building official runs a fixed sequence of inspections, footing, framing, and final among them, and the permit holder must schedule each one under Code Appendix B §…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County bans parking on unpaved ground in residential districts, requiring a hard-surfaced driveway, carport, or garage, and caps front-yard paving at 35 percent…

Unincorporated Gwinnett requires developments with routine deliveries to build off-street loading docks sized to the business, not curb loading zones with posted hours.

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, a bus, truck or other vehicle over half a ton cannot sit parked on a public street for more than one hour, day or night, under County Code Sec…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County requires an 80-foot no-parking zone at every bus stop, with the curb painted yellow in congested areas to mark it: the only curb-painting rule in the…

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, campers, motor homes, boats and boat trailers can't sit on a residential street or public place for more than one hour, day or night.

Commercial and multifamily developments with more than 50 parking spaces in unincorporated Gwinnett County must install at least one electric vehicle charging pedestal for every 50…

Gwinnett County bans keeping, parking, storing or maintaining a junk vehicle on any premises or public right-of-way under Code § 14-287, with narrow exceptions for vehicles actively…

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, buses, trucks and other vehicles over one-half ton capacity can't sit on a public street or highway for more than one hour, day or night.

Gwinnett County requires that any vehicle parked on a public street leave at least ten feet of roadway width open for traffic. County Code Sec. 102-73 bars parking "in such a manner or…

In the MU-R Regional Mixed-Use District, unincorporated Gwinnett caps base development at 3.0 FAR and 75 feet, but developers can earn bonus FAR up to 5.0 through listed amenities.

Restaurants in unincorporated Gwinnett County may add sidewalk seating under UDO Section 230-30.17, but a sidewalk cafe must leave two separate six-foot-wide clear paths: one running…

Gwinnett County requires short-term rental guests to park only on a hard-surface area built for the purpose, never on the street, in the yard, on a neighbor's property or in the…

Gwinnett County limits how many guests a short-term rental in the unincorporated county can sleep: no more than two adults per bedroom, and the total headcount still has to fit the…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County allows short-term rentals as a conditional use in every base residential district under UDO § 210-140.31, but only with no exterior evidence the home is…

In Gwinnett County's Open Space Conservation (OSC) zoning district, county code forces every subdivision's homeowners association covenant to make assessments compulsory and automatic…

Gwinnett County requires Open Space Conservation subdivision associations to be governed by Georgia's Property Owners' Association Act, giving the HOA lien rights for unpaid dues.

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, land-disturbing construction requires a land disturbance permit and Best Management Practices; disturbed soil must be stabilized with temporary cover…

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, any clearing, grading, or development activity within, adjacent to, or affecting a mapped flood hazard area requires a development permit under UDO…

Substantially improved residential structures in Gwinnett's flood hazard areas must set the lowest floor at least three feet above the 100-year base flood elevation, or one foot above…

New development in unincorporated Gwinnett must retain the first inch of rainfall on-site and treat runoff from 85% of a typical year's storms, cutting post-development pollutant loads…

Gwinnett County's Unified Development Ordinance encourages, but does not require, water-efficient turf selection on new development: UDO Section 630-100 directs site plans to consider…

New conveyor car washes in unincorporated Gwinnett County must install a system that captures and reuses at least half the water used in the wash and rinse cycles. UDO Section…

Gwinnett County water customers who get a leak repair order must fix it within 30 days, or just 15 days during a declared drought, or risk service shutoff.

Gwinnett County defines bulky waste as items over three feet or 50 pounds and has each residential service provider collect it under the area's county-issued service agreement.

Gwinnett requires residential solid waste to go out in a county-provided 95-gallon cart, with no overage except during a holiday week. Code section 82-56 sets the set-out window at no…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County makes it unlawful to dump or leave litter on public or private property or waters, with intentional dumping of egregious litter charged as a misdemeanor.

Unincorporated Gwinnett residents may not roll garbage carts to the curb before 3:30 p.m. the day before pickup and must pull them back in by the next day.

Gwinnett caps optional yard trimmings collection at $10.00 a month per residential service unit, with a discount for a yearly subscription. Code section 82-56(a)(5) requires trimmings…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County splits into five residential service areas, each served by one contracted hauler under a county service agreement. Code section 82-56 requires that…

Recycling pickup in unincorporated Gwinnett County is opt-in: a resident must contact the area's residential service provider or the county under code section 82-56(a)(3)b.3 to start…

Commercial dumpsters in unincorporated Gwinnett County must sit in a rear or side yard, never the front, at least 5 feet from property lines and buffers, on a concrete pad at least 10…

Gwinnett County makes it a crime to camp or store personal property in any county-owned park, defining camp broadly to include tents, shelters and overnight sleeping.

It is unlawful to camp, sleep, store belongings, or sit or lie on any Gwinnett County street, sidewalk or right-of-way, though a warning is required before arrest.

Unincorporated Gwinnett County levies its occupation tax using six profitability-ratio tax classes applied to gross receipts, with rates from 0.00065 to 0.00130 depending on business…

Gwinnett County protects large or historically significant trees as 'specimen trees' -- 28-inch hardwoods, 30-inch softwoods, or trees of historical significance -- requiring…

Non-residential development in unincorporated Gwinnett County must plant one street tree per 50 linear feet of frontage, spaced outside the roadway clear zone, under UDO § 620-40.

Gwinnett County's specimen-tree rules single out four native flowering species -- redbud, dogwood, serviceberry, and sourwood -- for protection once they reach just 12 inches in…

Gwinnett County will not issue a Certificate of Occupancy for an accessory dwelling unit unless the primary single-family home on the same lot is owner-occupied. UDO Section 210-140.10…

Sheds and other accessory buildings in unincorporated Gwinnett County must sit at least 5 feet from property lines, or 10 feet once the building exceeds 500 square feet.

UDO § 210-140.10 allows one detached accessory dwelling per lot in Gwinnett County's residential districts, capped at 50% of the principal home's heated floor area, with the primary…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County requires a swimming pool permit for any residential pool, and the county will not issue one until Planning and Development approves a Swimming Pool…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County requires a 48-inch fence or barrier around any private pool, hot tub, or spa deeper than 24 inches, with self-closing, self-latching gates.

Gwinnett County parks close to the public outside posted hours: from sunrise to 11:00 p.m. at most parks, or sunrise to sunset at others, depending on the park's designation under §…

Flying a drone in a Gwinnett County park is unlawful outside the areas the parks and recreation director designates for that use, under § 70-45. The same rule covers fuel-, jet-, and…