Paulding County, GA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Community Development Department
- Permit required
- Before any land-disturbing activity
- State fee cap
- $80 per acre
- Bond allowed
- Up to $3,000 per acre
- District plan review
- 35 days (silence = approval)
- Stream buffer
- 25 ft; 50 ft on trout streams
- Civil penalty
- $500-$2,500 per day
Summary
Anyone disturbing land in unincorporated Paulding County needs a land-disturbance permit from the Community Development Department before grading, clearing or building starts. The permit requires an approved erosion, sedimentation and pollution control plan, and local fees are capped at $80 per acre of disturbed land.
No person shall conduct any land-disturbing activity within the jurisdictional boundaries of Paulding County without first obtaining a permit from the community development department to perform such activity and providing a copy of notice of intent submitted to EPD if applicable... In addition to the local permitting fees, fees will also be assessed pursuant to paragraph (5) subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. 12-5-23, provided that such fees shall not exceed $80.00 per acre of land-disturbing activity, and these fees shall be calculated and paid by the primary permittee as defined in the state general permit for each acre of land-disturbing activity included in the planned development or each phase of development.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 35).
Full Breakdown
10. The Paulding County Soil and Water Conservation District has 35 days to approve or disapprove the plan; failure to act within that window counts as approval. Beyond the flat $80-per-acre state fee cap, the local issuing authority may require a bond of up to $3,000 per acre, forfeitable if the site is not stabilized. Permits must be issued or denied within 45 days of a complete application, and the county can reject anyone with two or more prior permit violations in the preceding three years.
No permit issues until the Tax Commissioner certifies all ad valorem taxes on the parcel are paid. Development plans must maintain a minimum 25-foot undisturbed buffer along the banks of state waters, widening to 50 feet along designated trout streams, measured from the point vegetation has been wrested by normal stream flow. Buffers must stay in a natural, undisturbed vegetative state until the site achieves final stabilization, after which they may only be thinned, not cleared. Phased developments need a separate permit for each phase, and permits can be suspended, revoked or modified if the site falls out of compliance with the approved plan.
Violations & Fines
For a first or second violation, the director issues a written warning giving five days to correct it before ordering a stop-work order; a third violation, an imminent health threat, or working without a permit triggers an immediate stop-work order. Civil penalties run $500 to $2,500 per day per violation, and working without a permit can also cost the violator's business license. Cases go to magistrate court on citations covering buffer violations, sediment discharge, or failure to obtain a permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to clear or grade land in Paulding County?
How much does a Paulding County land-disturbance permit cost?
What happens if work starts without a permit in Paulding County?
How wide of a stream buffer must I leave during construction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paulding County
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