Johns Creek, GA

Johns Creek sets nighttime quiet hours from 11:01 p.m. to 7 a.m., when the sound-pressure limit measured at a receiving residential property drops to 40 dBA / 50 dBC. Music or amplified sound that is plainly audible at a home can be cited regardless of the meter reading.

Construction and land-disturbance activity in Johns Creek is barred from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays, before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. on Saturday, and entirely on Sundays and six listed holidays, unless it is emergency work or the community development director grants special permission.

Johns Creek's Animal Control chapter has no dedicated barking-dog noise section. Persistent dog noise is instead handled as a general nuisance: Section 30-1(7) covers 'loud or unusual noises' that are detrimental or annoying to reasonable people, and the Chapter 10 nuisance definition reaches anything that unreasonably impairs hearing.

Johns Creek does not single out leaf blowers but regulates them as landscaping power equipment. At homes, such equipment cannot run 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., before 8 a.m. Saturday, or before 10 a.m. Sunday. Non-residential users face the same hours when within 250 feet of a residence.

Johns Creek prohibits amplified sound from an entertainment venue that is plainly audible at a residential property. The 'plainly audible' standard covers understandable speech, bass, or musical rhythms heard without a device, and a venue can be cited even when it stays under the meter limits.

Johns Creek has no city muffler or vehicle-decibel ordinance. Excessive vehicle exhaust noise is controlled by Georgia state law, O.C.G.A. 40-8-71, which requires a working muffler and bans muffler cutouts or devices causing excessive or unusual noise. Loud idling at a residence could also be a general nuisance.

Johns Creek (a largely residential suburb) applies its nuisance noise limits at the receiving residential property: 55 dBA / 60 dBC by day and 40 dBA / 50 dBC at night. Non-residential landscaping equipment must observe the same time limits within 250 feet of a home, and loud unusual noise is a general nuisance.

Johns Creek sets sound-pressure limits at receiving residential properties: 55 dBA / 60 dBC daytime (7:01 a.m.-11 p.m.) and 40 dBA / 50 dBC nighttime (11:01 p.m.-7 a.m.). Readings use A- and C-weighting on a Type 2 meter, but a plainly-audible finding can still establish a violation.

Outdoor music from an entertainment venue may not be plainly audible at any residential property, and metered limits run 55 dBA / 60 dBC by day and 40 dBA / 50 dBC at night. Permitted parades, athletic events, and outdoor special events are exempt while in compliance with their permit.

Johns Creek has no aircraft-noise ordinance. Aircraft operations and noise are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration under federal law, which preempts local control. The city's own noise rules in Chapter 30 apply to ground-based sources such as venues, equipment, and vehicles, not aircraft in flight.

Johns Creek does not license short-term rentals. The zoning ordinance has no short-term rental use category, and lodging for fewer than 30 days is treated as a hotel/motel or bed and breakfast use that is not permitted in residential districts. There is no STR permit to obtain.

Johns Creek has no short-term rental registration program. There is no city STR registry, no annual renewal, and no host application for residential vacation rentals. The only registration that touches transient lodging is the city hotel/motel occupancy excise tax account for permitted lodging businesses.

Lawful lodging in Johns Creek carries a 7% city hotel/motel occupancy excise tax on room rent, filed monthly. Operators may keep a 3% vendor credit if not delinquent. Georgia also imposes statewide sales tax and a $5/night state hotel fee on most stays. Residential STRs themselves are not a permitted use.

Johns Creek sets no STR-specific guest cap because residential short-term rentals are not a permitted use. Residential occupancy is instead governed by the zoning 'family' definition, which limits a single-family dwelling to a family or up to four unrelated persons. A permitted bed and breakfast is capped at 2 to 5 guest rooms.

Johns Creek has no STR-specific parking standard since residential vacation rentals are not permitted. Off-street parking is governed by the general zoning parking schedule in Article 18. For the lawful bed and breakfast use, parking is calculated at the hotel/motel rate and may not be located in the minimum front yard.

Johns Creek has no STR-specific noise rule, but its general noise/nuisance regulations in the city code (Chapter 30, Nuisances) apply to any occupied property. The city uses a 'plainly audible' enforcement standard, and violations carry escalating fines beginning around $250 and rising for repeat offenses.

Johns Creek has no primary-residence STR rule because it does not permit residential short-term rentals at all. The closest concept is the bed and breakfast use, which must be 'owner occupied' under Section 19.4.8 and is limited to AG-1, R-6, and TR districts with a Use Permit.

Johns Creek has no host-presence STR rule because it does not allow residential short-term rentals. The analogous requirement is for a bed and breakfast, which the code defines around the owner's on-site private residence and which Section 19.4.8 requires to be owner-occupied.

Johns Creek does not set an annual cap on rental nights, because it has no short-term rental program. Instead, the zoning ordinance draws the line at length of stay: lodging for fewer than 30 consecutive days is a hotel or bed and breakfast use, which is not permitted in residential districts.

Johns Creek imposes no short-term rental insurance requirement, because the city has no STR program and does not permit residential vacation rentals. There is no mandated liability minimum or proof-of-coverage step in the code. Any insurance is a private matter between owner, insurer, and listing platform.

Consumer fireworks are legal in Johns Creek under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 25-10), usable any day 10 a.m.–11:59 p.m. The city cannot ban them but enforces its noise ordinance, and prohibits igniting fireworks in city public parks without a written city permit.

Johns Creek allows recreational fires for cooking food for immediate consumption without a permit, but other open burning needs a special permit from the Fire Marshal. Burn-pile fires must be daylight only, max 4 ft by 4 ft, and at least 50 ft from any structure or wooden fence.

Open burning in Johns Creek requires a special permit from the Fire Marshal (except cooking fires). A pit burn permit allows only land-clearing pit fires of trees, logs, brush and stumps. Georgia's statewide burn ban prohibits most outdoor burning May 1–September 30.

Johns Creek has no California-style defensible-space mandate. Overgrown vegetation and accumulated brush are handled as property-maintenance nuisances under code enforcement, and burning brush requires a Fire Marshal pit burn permit plus compliance with the state summer burn ban.

Recreational and cooking fires are allowed in Johns Creek without a permit when used for cooking food for immediate consumption. Larger open burning needs a Fire Marshal permit, must be daylight-only, kept to 4 ft by 4 ft, and at least 50 ft from any structure or wooden fence.

Smoke alarm requirements in Johns Creek come from the adopted Georgia state building and fire codes, enforced through Chapter 21 and building permitting. The Fire Department recommends a detector on every level, two minimum per home, monthly testing, and annual battery replacement.

Propane and LP-gas storage in Johns Creek is governed by the adopted Georgia/International Fire Code, enforced under Chapter 21 by the Fire Marshal. Charcoal and open-flame cooking devices may not be used on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction, except at one- and two-family dwellings.

Johns Creek is a suburban Fulton County city and is not in a designated wildfire hazard or wildland-urban-interface zone, so there are no special wildfire building or defensible-space requirements. Fire risk is managed through the adopted fire code and Georgia's seasonal open-burning rules.

Johns Creek's Zoning Ordinance (Appendix A, Sec. 18.5) allows recreational vehicles, campers, boats, and boat trailers to be parked or stored in all residential districts, but only if they are not used as living quarters and the storage area is in the buildable area of the lot and not in front of the principal structure.

On-street parking in Johns Creek is governed primarily by Georgia's Uniform Rules of the Road (O.C.G.A. 40-6-200 and 40-6-203). Vehicles must park with the right-hand wheels parallel to and within 12 inches of the curb, and parking is barred in specified hazardous locations and at posted no-parking signs.

Johns Creek has no city ordinance imposing a general overnight ban or time limit on ordinary passenger cars parked on residential streets. On-street parking, day or night, is regulated by Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 40-6-200 to 40-6-203) and by posted no-parking signs the Police Department enforces.

Johns Creek's Zoning Ordinance requires developments needing 50 or more parking spaces to provide one electric-vehicle charging station for every 50 required spaces, with signage, accessible siting, and maintenance standards (Sec. 12A.3.4.4). EV stations may not be provided for on-street spaces.

Johns Creek's Zoning Ordinance bars trucks and trailers exceeding four tons empty weight from being stored or parked in residential or agricultural districts (Sec. 18.3.2), and requires delivery/service or advertising commercial vehicles in commercial and office districts to be parked in side or rear yards, not the front (Sec. 18.3.7).

Johns Creek prohibits keeping inoperative or unlicensed vehicles on any premises, and abandoned vehicles on public streets are handled under Georgia's Abandoned Motor Vehicle law (O.C.G.A. ch. 40-11). A car becomes 'abandoned' after five days on a public street or 30 days on private property.

Johns Creek has no ordinance allowing residents to paint or mark public curbs; no-parking restrictions are established by the city through official signs and curb markings the Police Department enforces. Fire lanes are marked with yellow or red curb and signs, and handicapped spaces with blue paint and a sign.

Johns Creek's Zoning Ordinance requires vehicles in single-family districts to be parked only on designated parking spaces on an all-weather surface (Sec. 18.3.1), caps paved/all-weather surface in the front yard at 35 percent, and limits a single-family residence to four visible vehicles.

Johns Creek's Zoning Ordinance bars trucks and trailers exceeding four tons empty weight from being stored or parked in any residential or agricultural district (Sec. 18.3.2), and restricts heavy construction vehicles such as earth-moving equipment and tractors to active-permit construction periods (Sec. 18.5).

Johns Creek's Zoning Ordinance (Sec. 18.6) requires off-street loading spaces for larger commercial, retail, office, and industrial uses on a graduated scale. Each loading space must measure at least 12 by 35 feet with 14 feet of vertical clearance, and loading areas must be located in rear or interior side yards.

Johns Creek caps fences and walls at eight feet from grade in residential districts. Columns and ornamental features may rise up to three feet above that maximum. The rule is set by Section 4.11.E of the city Zoning Ordinance and applies citywide regardless of whether a permit is required.

A standard new or replacement fence on a single-family lot does NOT require a Johns Creek permit, unless it adjoins a public right-of-way, sits in the 75-foot stream buffer, or lies in the river corridor. Permits are obtained through the Customer Self-Service portal; agricultural AG-1 fences are exempt.

Johns Creek requires that fences and walls built along property lines present their finished side toward the neighboring property. The city code does not assign cost-sharing or boundary disputes; those are governed by Georgia property law and any HOA covenants. Surveys are required when a permit applies.

Johns Creek treats walls as fences for height/setback purposes under Section 4.11, but structural retaining walls are also governed by the Georgia building code. Under the state-adopted residential code, a retaining wall over four feet (or any wall retaining a surcharge) needs a building permit and engineered design.

Johns Creek fences must meet a three-foot right-of-way setback, keep a three-foot landscape strip along rights-of-way, preserve sight-distance triangles, keep gates 20 feet back from rights-of-way, and present the finished side outward. Pool barriers have separate five-to-eight-foot, self-latching requirements under Section 19.3.12.

In all Johns Creek zoning districts except AG-1, M-1, and M-1A, wire and plastic fencing - including chain-link with plastic or wooden inserts - may not be used adjoining a street right-of-way. Barbed wire is barred from single-family lots. Pool fences may not use bright or primary colors.

Johns Creek allows most conventional fence materials in residential yards but bars wire, plastic, and insert-style chain-link adjoining a street right-of-way (except AG-1, M-1, M-1A). Concrete and block walls need design approval. Where opacity is required, fences must be visually solid. Commercial fences face stricter material lists.

Pool barriers in Fulton County must comply with IRC Appendix G (Swimming Pool Code). Minimum 5-ft height (Fulton standard), self-closing self-latching gates, no climb-helper openings.

Johns Creek prohibits dogs from running at large. Off the owner's premises, a dog must be on a leash no more than six feet long under the control of a competent person. On the premises, dogs must be confined by a fence, wall, enclosure, leash, or chain. Cats are exempt.

Johns Creek allows chickens and other fowl under Sec. 10-4. Outside agricultural zones, a maximum of 75 chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, pigeons, or similar fowl may be kept per premises, with at least 4 square feet of area per bird and coops set back at least 100 feet from occupied buildings other than the owner's home.

Outside agricultural zones, Johns Creek limits a single premises to 10 dogs and cats combined (Sec. 10-4). Keeping four or more dogs over four months old for 14+ days makes the property a 'kennel' requiring a special permit under Sec. 10-93.

Johns Creek does not ban or restrict any dog breed. Its dangerous-dog rules (Chapter 10, Article V) are based on a dog's behavior, not its breed, consistent with Georgia's Responsible Dog Ownership Law (O.C.G.A. § 4-8-20 et seq.). No pit bull or other breed-specific ordinance exists.

Johns Creek has no ordinance banning beekeeping, and Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 2-14-41.1) prohibits cities from banning honeybee hives. Local governments retain zoning authority, so beekeeping is generally allowed in Johns Creek subject to zoning and nuisance limits rather than a dedicated bee ordinance.

Johns Creek requires owners of any wildlife or exotic animal to obtain all necessary state and federal permits and meet all state and federal requirements (Sec. 10-8). Such animals may not run at large, and skunks (except certain pen-raised) and all foxes are prohibited under Sec. 10-7.

Johns Creek permits livestock under Sec. 10-4 subject to setbacks, space minimums, and quantity caps. Outside agricultural zones, limits include 5 horses/cows, 10 sheep/goats, and 10 hogs per premises, with horses set back 100 feet and hogs 900 feet from occupied buildings.

Johns Creek exempts cats from its running-at-large and leash requirements (Sec. 10-6), so cats may roam. Cats over four months old must still have a current rabies vaccination (Sec. 10-71), and the 10 dog-and-cat limit per premises applies (Sec. 10-4).

Johns Creek has no ordinance specifically prohibiting the feeding of wildlife in its animal-control code. Conduct that creates a nuisance, or that involves keeping wild animals, is regulated indirectly through Chapter 10 (nuisances, running-at-large, and the wildlife/exotic-permit rules). Georgia DNR governs wildlife generally.

Johns Creek has no ordinance using the term 'hoarding,' but the conduct is reached through Sec. 10-4 numeric pet limits (10 dogs/cats), the Sec. 10-5 cruelty/unsanitary-conditions prohibition, and the Sec. 10-93 kennel permit. Severe cases also implicate Georgia's animal-cruelty laws.

Microchipping is not mandatory in Fulton County. Fulton County Animal Services microchips all impounded pets at cost; Atlanta Code §18-126 requires rabies vaccination but not chips.

Johns Creek requires all premises and exterior property to be kept free from weeds or plant growth exceeding ten (10) inches. Grass that is taller than 10 inches is a code violation enforced by the city's Code Compliance Division under the adopted property maintenance code.

Johns Creek's tree rules focus on preservation, not routine pruning. Trimming healthy trees on your own developed single-family lot generally needs no permit, but you may not remove or disturb a specimen tree, or any tree in a protected zone, without written permission from the City Arborist.

Johns Creek does not mandate native plants for private yards, and there is no rule forcing homeowners to replace lawns with natives. The city's tree guidelines state that native trees, shrubs, and plants are preferred for public-property plantings, and several protected specimen species are native.

On a developed single-family lot, Johns Creek allows tree removal without a permit only when the tree is outside any protected zone and is not a specimen tree. Removing a specimen tree, or any tree in a buffer or tree save area, requires written City Arborist permission and may require replacement planting.

No Johns Creek ordinance was found that specifically prohibits or regulates artificial turf in residential yards. Installations are common in the city. Any project should still meet general property maintenance standards and the city's stormwater/impervious-surface and zoning rules.

Johns Creek prohibits weeds or plant growth in excess of 10 inches and bans all noxious weeds. "Weeds" are defined as grasses, annual plants, and vegetation other than trees or shrubs, but cultivated flowers and gardens are exempt. Enforcement is through the Code Compliance Division.

Johns Creek follows Georgia's statewide Water Stewardship Act. Outdoor landscape watering with publicly supplied water is allowed only between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. year-round under non-drought conditions. Water service in the city is provided by Fulton County from the Chattahoochee River.

Johns Creek has no ordinance restricting rainwater collection, and Georgia broadly permits it. Captured stormwater and rainwater are expressly exempt from the state's 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. watering restriction, so harvested rainwater can be used for irrigation at any time of day.

No Johns Creek ordinance prohibiting backyard composting was found, and Georgia exempts backyard composting from state solid-waste regulation. Compost piles must still be maintained so they don't create a nuisance, attract vermin, or violate the city's property maintenance and rubbish-accumulation standards.

Johns Creek's Zoning Ordinance (Sec. 19.3.12) requires every private pool to be completely surrounded by an enclosure - a fence, wall, or building - at least 5 feet high, with self-closing, positive-latching gates. The enclosure must be locked when the pool is not in use, with a 5-foot unclimbable space, and must be in place before pool completion.

A building permit is required to install a residential swimming pool or spa in Johns Creek. The city enforces the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code with Georgia Amendments. Pool work is reviewed by Community Development, and the safety barrier is permitted as part of the pool permit, with a site plan showing dimensions to property lines.

Johns Creek combines a local zoning enclosure mandate (Sec. 19.3.12) with the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, Georgia Amendments. Pools must be fully enclosed, gates self-latching and locked when unattended, and a 5-foot unclimbable buffer maintained. Construction must comply with Fulton County Health Department regulations.

Above-ground pools deeper than 24 inches require a building permit in Johns Creek under the 2024 ISPSC with Georgia Amendments. They are subject to the same zoning enclosure (5-foot fence, self-latching gates) and 10-foot property-line setback as in-ground pools, and must comply with Fulton County Health Department rules.

Johns Creek requires a building permit for spas and hot tubs, including portable spas, under the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code with Georgia Amendments. Spas serving a dwelling fall under the same zoning pool standards (Sec. 19.3.12), including the 5-foot enclosure rule and 10-foot property-line setback for detached homes.

Johns Creek Zoning Ordinance Sec. 4.12 permits a home occupation as an accessory use of a dwelling in any zoning district. Operation and employees are limited to resident family members, and no more than the smaller of 25% or 750 square feet of the dwelling's gross floor area may be used. The use may not create a nuisance.

Johns Creek Zoning Ordinance Sec. 4.12.C prohibits any sign identifying a home occupation. There may also be no storage, display, or activity associated with the home occupation visible outside the structure. Home-based businesses must remain visually indistinguishable from a residence.

Johns Creek requires home-based businesses to obtain a Business (Occupation Tax) Certificate from the Revenue Division and to comply with Zoning Ordinance Sec. 4.12. Resident participants must hold appropriate occupational licensing, including business licenses. Businesses within city limits have 30 days from start to obtain the certificate; renewals are due March 31.

Cottage food in Johns Creek is governed by Georgia state law administered by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, not a separate city ordinance. Under HB 398 (effective July 1, 2025), Georgia removed the state cottage food license. Operators make only non-potentially-hazardous foods, label them with the required disclaimer, and must still meet Johns Creek's home occupation zoning rules.

Johns Creek Zoning Sec. 4.12 treats a Family Day Care Home (care for 6 or fewer children) as a home occupation, with a 1,000-foot spacing rule from other such homes, hours limited to Mon-Sat 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., outdoor play only in side/rear yards, and proof of state registration. State licensing is handled by Georgia DECAL.

Home occupations in unincorporated Fulton may not generate traffic beyond residential norms. No walk-in retail customers are allowed; appointment-only clients limited to one at a time.

Johns Creek allows a detached accessory dwelling unit, called a Guest House, on single-family lots. Zoning Ordinance Section 19.3.5 caps it at one per lot, 650-1,500 sq ft of heated floor area, rear yard only, with principal-building setbacks. It may have a kitchen but cannot be rented.

Johns Creek lists sheds as accessory structures (Zoning Ordinance Art. III). Section 4.5.1 requires them to be built with or after the main house, and each residential district (Art. VI) requires accessory structures to sit in the rear or side yard and outside the minimum yard (setback). The Ordinance sets no separate numeric height or size cap for sheds.

Johns Creek does not have a code section specifically titled garage conversions. The Zoning Ordinance lists detached garages as accessory structures, requires them in the rear or side yard outside the setback, and lets garage parking count toward required single-family parking. Converting a garage to living space implicates the minimum-parking and Guest House rules.

Johns Creek lists detached carports as accessory structures (Zoning Ordinance Art. III), so they must sit in the rear or side yard outside the minimum setback. Under Art. XVIII, carport spaces count toward required single-family parking, with no more than two such spaces offsetting the minimum, and a carport is excluded from the canopy definition.

Johns Creek's Zoning Ordinance has no provision specifically for tiny homes. A detached tiny dwelling on a single-family lot would be regulated as a Guest House (§ 19.3.5: 650-1,500 sq ft, rear yard, one per lot, no rent), and mobile homes are restricted, allowed in residential districts only temporarily while a home is built.

Backyard grilling at single-family homes in Johns Creek is allowed and counts as cooking for immediate consumption, exempt from open-burn permits. On combustible apartment and condo balconies, the adopted fire code bars charcoal and propane grills and their tanks within 10 feet of combustible construction.

Wood and charcoal smokers are allowed at single-family homes in Johns Creek as cooking for immediate consumption, with no open-burn permit required. At multifamily buildings the fire code bars open-flame and solid-fuel cookers on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustibles.

Johns Creek minimum yard setbacks vary by zoning district under Article VI of the Zoning Ordinance. Larger single-family districts (R-1/R-2) require a 60-foot front yard, while smaller R-5 lots need just 20 feet. Side and rear yards scale with the district. Accessory structures and fences have their own placement rules.

In all Johns Creek single-family and two-family residential districts (R-1 through R-6), no building may exceed 40 feet in height. Certain elements like chimneys, spires, flag poles, and cupolas are exempt. Public buildings and schools may reach 60 feet and churches 75 feet, with added setbacks above the district limit.

Johns Creek's single-family residential districts (R-1 through R-6) do not set a single percentage lot-coverage cap in the Zoning Ordinance; buildable area is shaped by minimum lot size, setbacks, and stream-buffer/impervious rules. Some higher-density and commercial districts do cap coverage - 50% in TR townhouse, 40-80% in others, and 75% impervious in MIX.

Johns Creek requires approval to remove protected trees. Permission is needed for any specimen tree or any tree in a protected zone (water buffers, zoning buffers, tree save areas). Developed single-family lots may remove non-specimen trees outside protected zones without a permit. Specimen removals require replacement planting.

Specimen trees in unincorporated Fulton County (defined by DBH thresholds in §26-403) receive extra protection. Removal requires written approval from the County Arborist.

Removed protected trees in Fulton County must be replaced according to the Fulton County Tree Recompense Schedule or replanted at minimum 2:1 ratio.

Johns Creek enforces the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (with Georgia Amendments) plus its Nuisance Ordinance. Exterior property must be kept free of rubbish, junk vehicles, and overgrowth, and vacant structures and land must stay clean, safe, and secure so they do not cause blight.

Under the adopted IPMC (Section 308), exterior property and structures must stay free of accumulated rubbish or garbage, and occupants must dispose of rubbish by placing it in approved containers. Solid waste carts must be removed from the collection point within 24 hours of pickup.

Under the adopted IPMC Section 301.3, all vacant structures, their premises, and vacant land in Johns Creek must be maintained in a clean, safe, secure, and sanitary condition so they do not cause blight or harm public health or safety. Weed and overgrowth limits apply to vacant parcels too.

Johns Creek requires all premises and exterior property to be kept free of weeds or plant growth taller than 10 inches, and noxious weeds are prohibited. The rule comes from the adopted International Property Maintenance Code as applied by the city's Code Compliance Division.

Johns Creek has no specific garage-sale or yard-sale permit ordinance. Occasional residential sales are treated as an incidental use of the home, but they remain subject to the city's nuisance, property-maintenance, and sign rules, and the city will not list private sales on its website.

Illegal dumping in Johns Creek is governed primarily by Georgia's litter law, O.C.G.A. 16-7-43, which makes dumping litter on public or private property a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail. The city's Nuisance Ordinance also treats dumped refuse as a nuisance.

Johns Creek uses an open-market system of registered private haulers, not city trucks. Every resident and business must subscribe to an approved hauler. The required minimum residential service is weekly garbage, weekly recycling, weekly yard trimmings, and once-monthly bulky trash.

Johns Creek Code Sec. 42-29 governs where solid waste carts may sit. Containers may not be stored on public rights-of-way and may not block any sidewalk, street, driveway, fire lane, or intersection sight line, and they must be removed from the collection point within 24 hours of service.

Johns Creek requires registered haulers to provide residential customers at least once-a-month bulky trash pickup (Sec. 42-19). Bulky trash is defined as large items like appliances, mattresses, furniture, and tires that won't fit in a normal cart. Pickup is arranged through your hauler.

Every registered Johns Creek hauler must provide weekly single-stream recycling, and residents are not required to separate their recyclables (Sec. 42-20). Recycling carts are provided by your hauler, and multi-family complexes must offer recycling to residents (Sec. 42-35).

Atlanta collects yard waste curbside through its franchised hauler; Sandy Springs/Roswell programs include yard waste. Open burning of yard waste is banned May-September.

Johns Creek treats political and campaign signs as content-neutral Standard Informational Signs under Zoning Ordinance Article XXXIII. They need no permit but are capped at 16 sq ft total, max 8 ft above adjacent street grade or 4 ft above ground, and may not be in the public right-of-way. GDOT controls state-route ROW.

Johns Creek has no separate garage-sale-sign category. Yard/garage-sale signs are content-neutral Standard Informational Signs under Article XXXIII: no permit, max 16 sq ft total (one sign or up to four aggregating 16 sq ft), max 8 ft above street grade or 4 ft above ground, kept out of the public right-of-way and off trees and utility poles.

Holiday displays (Christmas lights, Halloween decorations, inflatables) on Fulton County residential property are largely unregulated. They must not constitute a §46-137 light/sound nuisance or zoning violation.

Johns Creek has a full Night Sky Ordinance in Zoning Ordinance Section 4.9. Outdoor lighting must be full cutoff with no light above horizontal, bans aerial lasers, searchlights, mercury-vapor, sodium-vapor, and very intense lights, exempts holiday and pool lighting, and applies to permitted developments with curfews for recreational field lighting (10:30 p.m.).

Johns Creek's Night Sky Ordinance (Section 4.9.4.B) limits light trespass at a residential or nature-preserve property line to 0.1 foot-candle vertical (measured 3 ft above grade) and 0.5 foot-candle at other property lines. Flood/spot lamps must point no higher than 45 degrees above straight down when visible off-site, and security lighting may not glare onto neighbors.

All City of Johns Creek parks are closed from midnight until 6 a.m. under the City's Park Rules, with the dog park open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Violating any park rule is punishable by a fine not to exceed $250 and/or up to 90 days in jail. Park use is also governed by Code Chapter 38.

Unincorporated Fulton County's juvenile curfew (adopted Feb 2023) prohibits unsupervised minors 17 and under in public places between 8 p.m. Sun-Thu and 12:01 a.m. Fri-Sat through 6 a.m.

Specimen tree removal in unincorporated Fulton County requires the County Arborist's written permission under §26-405. Atlanta requires a permit to remove any tree 6+ inches DBH on private property.

Fulton County participates in the FEMA NFIP and enforces flood-damage prevention through Chapter 26 Article IV (Stormwater) and Article XXVI (Flood Damage Prevention). Construction in mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas requires elevation and permits.

Stormwater development in Fulton County is regulated under Chapter 26 Article IV (Stormwater Management) and the Fulton County Comprehensive Stormwater Management Design and Criteria Manual.

Erosion control in Fulton County follows the Georgia Erosion & Sedimentation Act (O.C.G.A. §12-7-1 et seq.) and the Manual for Erosion and Sediment Control in Georgia ('Green Book').

Atlanta has lost significant tree canopy since 2000, exacerbating urban heat islands. The Atlanta Tree Conservation Commission, Fulton County Tree Preservation Ordinance, and Trees Atlanta plant ~5,000 trees annually to mitigate heat.

Diesel trucks in Fulton County may not idle more than 15 minutes under Georgia EPD Rule 391-3-20-.05 (Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicle Idling Restrictions).

Georgia's Coastal Marshlands Protection Act and Shore Protection Act require state permits for development affecting marshes, beaches, and dunes, with authority concentrated in the Coastal Resources Division.

Recreational drone use in Fulton County is governed by FAA Part 107 and recreational rules under 49 U.S.C. §44809. Local airspace restrictions apply near Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and over critical infrastructure.

Atlanta parks prohibit drone takeoff/landing without a Department of Parks & Recreation permit. Chattahoochee River NRA prohibits all drone use under 36 CFR §1.5.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (KATL) generates Class B airspace covering most of southern Fulton County. Drone flights without LAANC authorization are prohibited up to 10,000 ft MSL in the Class B core.

Georgia defers to FAA Part 107 rules for commercial drone operations and preempts local licensing or operation requirements, while still allowing privacy and trespass laws to apply to commercial flights.

No recreational cannabis dispensaries are allowed in Fulton County. Georgia's Low-THC Oil dispensary network operates under the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission with strict siting rules.

Personal recreational cannabis cultivation is illegal in Fulton County under Georgia state law. Georgia has no recreational cannabis program; possession of any amount is criminal under O.C.G.A. §16-13-30.

Georgia law prohibits home cultivation of marijuana for any purpose, including by registered low-THC oil patients, and this prohibition preempts any conflicting local ordinance attempting to authorize personal grows.

Food trucks in unincorporated Fulton County require a Food Truck Administrative Use Permit under Zoning Article 19 §3, plus a Mobile Food Service permit from the Fulton County Board of Health.

Food trucks in unincorporated Fulton County may operate only at properties with notarized owner consent and proper zoning. Atlanta restricts food trucks to specific public-ROW vending zones under Code Ch. 30.

Door-to-door commercial solicitation in unincorporated Fulton County requires a permit under Chapter 54 (Peddlers and Solicitors). Religious and political canvassers are exempt under the First Amendment.

Door-to-door solicitation in unincorporated Fulton County is restricted to daytime hours (typically 9 a.m.-7 p.m. or sunset). 'No Soliciting' signs must be honored under §54-3.

Georgia O.C.G.A. §44-3-220 prohibits Fulton County HOAs from prohibiting solar collectors but allows reasonable aesthetic and location restrictions.

Solar panel installations in Fulton County require building and electrical permits. Standard residential rooftop solar typically permits within 2-4 weeks; ground-mount systems require zoning review.

Most Fulton County HOAs operate Architectural Review Committees (ARC) requiring approval for exterior modifications. Approvals are governed by CC&Rs and Georgia POA Act §44-3-223.

Georgia HOAs in Fulton County enforce CC&Rs through the Georgia Property Owners' Association Act (O.C.G.A. §44-3-220 et seq.). HOAs can levy fines and place liens for violations.

Georgia O.C.G.A. §16-11-173 preempts all local firearm ordinances. Fulton County and its cities cannot regulate gun possession, carry, or storage beyond state law.

Georgia is a permitless concealed carry state under SB 319 (2022), allowing lawful weapons carriers to carry concealed handguns statewide subject to statutory location restrictions.

Georgia permits lawful weapons carriers to openly carry handguns in most public places, with statewide preemption limiting local restrictions on open carry.

Georgia permits any lawful weapons carrier or eligible person to carry a handgun in a private vehicle without a permit under O.C.G.A. 16-11-126.

Garage sales in Fulton County typically operate 7 a.m.-7 p.m. with a 3-day maximum per sale. Nighttime sales are uncommon and may trigger noise/lighting complaints.

Unincorporated Fulton County and Atlanta do not require permits for residential garage sales. Most Fulton cities cap frequency to 4 per year.

Atlanta and most Fulton cities cap garage sales to 4 per address per year. Each sale typically limited to 3 consecutive days.

Atlanta restricts public-right-of-way vending to designated vending zones with separate annual permits. Unincorporated Fulton County restricts street vending under zoning Article 19.

Atlanta designated vending zones include parts of downtown, Centennial Olympic Park area, Underground Atlanta, and sports/event venues. Outside zones, sidewalk vending is prohibited.

Georgia is a no-just-cause-required eviction state. Landlords in Fulton County may terminate month-to-month tenancies with 60 days notice (landlord) or 30 days (tenant) under O.C.G.A. §44-7-7.

Atlanta operates a Rental Housing Registration program under Code §54-46. Sandy Springs and South Fulton also require rental registration. Unincorporated Fulton has no rental registry.

Georgia O.C.G.A. §44-7-30 et seq. governs security deposits statewide. No state cap on deposit amount. Deposits must be returned within 30 days of vacancy with itemized deductions.

Atlanta inspects rental properties via complaint-driven enforcement under Code §54-46 and during business-license renewals. There is no proactive rental-inspection program in Fulton County.

Georgia state law expressly prohibits any county or municipality from enacting rent control on private residential or commercial property, fully preempting local regulation.

Atlanta and Fulton County have robust film-permit programs. Atlanta requires Mayor's Office of Film & Entertainment permits; Fulton County permits commercial filming through Public Works.

Personal still photography in Fulton County public spaces is generally exempt from permits. Commercial photo shoots in parks or ROW require permits and insurance.

Federal Tobacco 21 (Tobacco Control Act §906) and Georgia O.C.G.A. §16-12-171 prohibit tobacco/vape sales to anyone under 21. Fulton County enforces through municipal licensing.

Georgia does not impose a statewide ban on flavored tobacco or flavored vapor products, leaving sales lawful subject to age, licensing, and federal restrictions.

Georgia regulates vape and alternative nicotine retail sales under Title 16 Chapter 12 Article 8, requiring licensing, age verification, and product compliance for retailers.

Loud party complaints in unincorporated Fulton County are enforced under §46-137 (general noise) plus Chapter 46 disorderly conduct. Atlanta has a separate loud-party citation under Code §74-133.

Georgia prohibits local governments from setting minimum wages above state or federal levels under Title 34 preemption enacted through HB 234.

Georgia preempts local governments from requiring private employers to provide paid leave, sick time, or other employment benefits beyond state and federal law.

Georgia preempts local predictable scheduling and fair workweek ordinances, preventing cities and counties from regulating employer shift practices for private workers.

Georgia requires private employers with 11 or more employees to use E-Verify under O.C.G.A. 36-60-6, with annual affidavit certification tied to business licenses.

Georgia prohibits sanctuary policies under O.C.G.A. 36-80-23 and HB 1105, requiring local governments and law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Georgia counties retain zoning authority for agricultural operations, balanced against the Right to Farm Act's nuisance protections for established farms.

Georgia's Right to Farm Act in O.C.G.A. 41-1-7 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits brought by neighbors and changing land uses.

Georgia does not prohibit plastic carryout bags statewide and has not enacted express preemption barring local action, though local bag restrictions remain rare.

Georgia imposes no statewide ban on polystyrene foam food service containers, leaving foam cups, plates, and clamshells widely available across the state.

Georgia has no statewide ban or upon-request rule for plastic straws, leaving food service operators free to provide single-use straws under standard health rules.