Hall County, GA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Hall County, GA, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Restricted hours
- 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. only
- Applies to
- unincorporated Hall County only
- Enforcement
- Hall County marshals
- Exceptions
- 13 categories, § 13.21.020
- Penalty
- misdemeanor, § 1.50.020
- Adopted
- Res. of 10-28-10
Summary
Outdoor watering of lawns, gardens and other landscaping in unincorporated Hall County is confined to the hours between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. under County Code § 13.21.010. County marshals enforce the rule, and violators face a misdemeanor charge, though the ordinance carves out wide exceptions for irrigation methods, new plantings and agriculture.
Outdoor watering for purposes of planting, growing, managing, or maintaining ground cover, trees, shrubs, or other plants in the unincorporated area of Hall County, Georgia may occur only between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 13.21 of the Official Code of Hall County, Georgia restricts "outdoor watering for purposes of planting, growing, managing, or maintaining ground cover, trees, shrubs, or other plants in the unincorporated area of Hall County, Georgia" to the window between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. (§ 13.21.010). The rule applies only outside city limits; incorporated cities such as Gainesville or Flowery Branch set their own rules. Section 13.21.020 lists 13 categories of exempt water use, including commercial crop, livestock and poultry production; capture and reuse of stormwater or cooling-system condensate; gray-water reuse under O.C.G.A. § 31-3-5.2; use of reclaimed wastewater from a state-permitted system; watering personal food gardens; watering new plant, seed or turf for 30 days after installation; drip irrigation or soaker hoses; hand watering with an automatic shutoff or hand-held container; use of water drawn from a private well or on-site surface water; watering horticultural stock held for sale; watering athletic fields, golf courses or public turf recreation areas; irrigation-system installation, maintenance or calibration; and hydroseeding.
Enforcement authority rests with the county marshals, with the county manager empowered to authorize additional departments to assist (§ 13.21.030). Section 13.21.030.A makes it unlawful for any person to use or allow the use of water in violation of the chapter.
Violations & Fines
Violating the watering-hours restriction or any provision of Chapter 13.21 is a misdemeanor under § 13.21.040, prosecuted before the Magistrate or State Court of Hall County. On conviction, the court punishes each violation as provided in Official Code of Hall County, Georgia § 1.50.020, with the fine amount left to the court's discretion, and each day of continued violation can be charged separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I water my lawn in unincorporated Hall County?
Does hand watering with a hose count as landscape watering?
What happens if I water outside the allowed hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hall County
Compare Hall County to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
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