Barrow County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)
Key Facts
- First violation
- Up to $250 fine, written warning
- Second violation
- Up to $500 fine, 30-90 day suspension
- Third violation
- Up to $1,000 fine, permit revoked
- Reapplication bar
- 12 months after revocation
- Immediate revocation grounds
- Fraud, unpaid fees, failed qualifications
- Court of record
- Barrow County Magistrate Court
- Appeal path
- Superior Court within 30 days
Summary
Unincorporated Barrow County runs its short-term rental permits on a three-strike system: magistrate-court fines and permit consequences escalate from a $250 warning on the first violation in 12 months to a $1,000 fine and outright revocation on the third.
(1)The first violation within a consecutive 12-month period shall result in a fine in magistrate court not to exceed $250.00 and a written warning notice of violation upon a finding of guilt or plea of guilty or nolo contendere in magistrate court.(2)The second violation within a consecutive 12-month period shall result in a fine in magistrate court not to exceed $500.00 and a permit suspension for a period of not less than 30 days nor more than 90 day upon a finding of guilt or plea of guilty or nolo contendere in magistrate court.(3)The third violation within a consecutive 12-month period shall result in a fine in magistrate court not to exceed $1,000.00 and the revocation of the short-term rental permit upon a finding of guilt or plea of guilty or nolo contendere in magistrate court, and neither the owner nor local contact person shall be eligible to reapply for a short-term rental permit for a period of 12 months from the date of revocation.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 26-157 sets a progressive penalty scale for any violation of the short-term rental article, including noise, parking, occupancy, or permit-condition violations. A first violation within a consecutive 12-month period draws a magistrate-court fine of up to $250 and a written warning notice upon a finding of guilt, guilty plea, or nolo contendere. A second violation in that same 12-month window draws a fine of up to $500 and a permit suspension of not less than 30 nor more than 90 days. A third violation draws a fine of up to $1,000, revocation of the permit, and a bar on the owner or local contact person reapplying for a new short-term rental permit for 12 months from the revocation date.
The board of commissioners can suspend or revoke beyond those windows, or mitigate the mandatory suspension, if the permit holder shows it had established practices to prevent the violation. Separately, Sec. 26-156 allows immediate suspension or revocation, without waiting for the strike count, if the county learns the applicant gave false information, failed to pay required fees or taxes, or the rental no longer meets its permitting qualifications. Each day the rental is marketed or rented without a valid permit is its own separate violation.
Violations & Fines
Enforcement runs through Barrow County Magistrate Court under O.C.G.A. § 36-1-20, and the administrative sanctions apply to whichever person, owner, local contact, responsible person, or occupant, is found guilty or pleads guilty or nolo contendere. Beyond the three-strike fines and suspension/revocation track, operating without a permit at all can be prosecuted under the Code's general penalty Secs. 1-7 through 1-9, and each day of unpermitted rental is charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many strikes before Barrow County revokes a short-term rental permit?
Can Barrow County revoke a short-term rental permit immediately, without three strikes?
Who decides violations against a Barrow County short-term rental permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Barrow County
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