Columbus, GA Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Notice period
- 5 days to correct
- Approving agency
- Columbus Dept. of Public Health
- Storage rule
- food/firewood 12–18 in off ground
- Scope
- entire consolidated city-county
- Nonpayment
- becomes a lien on property
Summary
Columbus, Georgia makes it unlawful to keep, cause or permit a rodent infestation anywhere in the consolidated city-county, and the health department can order corrective action after five days' notice of rats, droppings or gnawing.
It shall be unlawful to have, keep, maintain, cause or permit, within the limits of Columbus, Georgia any rodent infestation. ... The presence of live rats or mice, droppings, runways, tracks, burrows, nests and gnawings, singly or in combination shall be evidence that a rodent infestation does exist, and failure to prevent such rodent infestation within five days after notice by the health officer, his authorized agent, or representative, shall be deemed a violation of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
Columbus, Georgia's Code of Ordinances bans keeping, maintaining, causing or permitting a rodent infestation anywhere within the consolidated city-county government: defined as the observed presence of live rats or mice, droppings, runways, tracks, burrows, nests or gnawing, singly or in combination. The Columbus Department of Public Health approves the control methods, which the code lists as sanitation, eliminating rubbish and leaf piles that give rodents harborage, storing food and firewood 12 to 18 inches off the ground, rodent-proofing building openings, and using approved rodenticides or traps. Once the health officer gives notice of an infestation, the property owner or occupant has five days to correct it before a violation is recorded.
Violations & Fines
Violations are punished under the general Code § 1-8 penalty; nonresponsive owners can be billed for city-performed treatment, with unpaid costs becoming a lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the rodent rule apply outside old Columbus city limits?
What counts as evidence of a rodent infestation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbus
Compare Columbus to another location·View the Georgia public health rules overview
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