Environmental Rules in Georgia (2026)

Georgia delegates Clean Water Act stormwater authority to the Environmental Protection Division, which issues NPDES…

Cherokee County's Illicit Discharge and Illegal Connection Ordinance bars dumping anything but stormwater into the…

Coweta County bans dumping anything but stormwater into the county's separate storm sewer system and requires…

Decatur, Georgia's Unified Development Ordinance requires a stormwater management permit before any land development…

Macon-Bibb County's stormwater system is run by the Macon Water Authority under a 2019 intergovernmental agreement, and…

Newton County requires a land-disturbance permit before most development in the unincorporated area under Sec…

Paulding County bans discharging any pollutant other than stormwater into the county's separate storm sewer system…

Unincorporated Rockdale County regulates stormwater under County Code Chapter 310, banning any discharge of pollutants…

Development in unincorporated Walton County that increases peak stormwater runoff by more than one cubic foot per…

Any Acworth land-development project disturbing an acre or adding 5,000 square feet of impervious cover needs a public…

New development or redevelopment in Atlanta needs a stormwater permit and management plan once it adds 500 square feet…

Augusta-Richmond County bans dumping anything but authorized storm or surface runoff into its storm sewer system and…

New development or redevelopment in unincorporated Bartow County that disturbs an acre or adds 5,000 square feet of…

Carroll County regulates post-construction stormwater for new development and redevelopment in the unincorporated…

Chatham County's Storm Water Management Ordinance, Sec. 24-708, makes it unlawful to dump trash, landscape debris or…

Clayton County regulates stormwater from new construction under County Code § 38-111.2: any new development adding…

Unincorporated Cobb County requires stormwater management measures designed to the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual…

Columbia County bans discharging anything but clean stormwater into its MS4 storm-drain system under Code of Ordinances…

New development or redevelopment in Columbus, Georgia that disturbs 5,000 square feet or more, or any commercial or…

DeKalb County Code § 14-40(b) pulls a project into stormwater management and water quality review the moment it crosses…

Dunwoody requires a stormwater management plan for new development or redevelopment that adds 5,000 square feet or more…

Unincorporated Fayette County requires a stormwater management permit for new development or redevelopment that adds…

Anyone developing or building in unincorporated Floyd County must prepare a stormwater management plan approved by the…

Forsyth County bans dumping anything but stormwater into its municipal storm sewer system and requires a land…

In unincorporated Fulton County, most subdivisions and land-disturbing projects must clear a two-stage Public Works…

New development in unincorporated Gwinnett must retain the first inch of rainfall on-site and treat runoff from 85% of…

New development in unincorporated Hall County must treat stormwater before it leaves the site: Sec. 10.5.8.D requires…

Henry County runs a stormwater management utility that bills every developed parcel in the unincorporated county based…

Houston County regulates stormwater quality and quantity for all surface waters in the unincorporated county through…

Johns Creek requires a stormwater management permit and GSMM-compliant runoff controls for new development or…

New development adding 5,000 square feet of impervious surface, or disturbing an acre or more, must meet Marietta's…

Roswell, Georgia requires a stormwater management plan for new development that creates 5,000 square feet or more of…

South Fulton requires a stormwater concept plan and a stormwater management plan, reviewed by the Department of Public…

Warner Robins requires a stormwater management permit before any land disturbance of one acre or more, or any project…

In unincorporated Whitfield County, any new development or redevelopment that creates 5,000 square feet or more of…

The Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Act sets minimum land-disturbing-activity standards, certified-personnel…

No person may disturb land in Coweta County without a permit from the community development department. Permits cost…

Any land-disturbing activity of one acre or more in unincorporated DeKalb County requires a land disturbance permit…

Anyone disturbing land in unincorporated Floyd County needs an erosion, sedimentation and pollution control permit…

Unincorporated Fulton County requires a land disturbance permit before any grading or development on steep slopes, with…

No one may disturb land in unincorporated Henry County without first obtaining a land-disturbance permit and an…

Houston County requires a land-disturbing permit with an approved erosion, sedimentation, and pollution control plan…

Before clearing, grading, or building stormwater drainage facilities in Johns Creek, developers need a land disturbance…

Macon-Bibb County requires a land-disturbing permit from the Macon Water Authority before any grading, clearing, or…

Anyone disturbing land in unincorporated Paulding County needs a land-disturbance permit from the Community Development…

In unincorporated Rockdale County, disturbing one acre or more of land, or any part of a larger development plan…

No one may disturb land within Roswell, Georgia without an erosion, sedimentation and pollution control permit from the…

Any land-disturbing activity in South Fulton, from grading to excavation to foundation work, needs a land disturbance…

Anyone disturbing land in unincorporated Walton County must get a land-disturbing permit and follow erosion…

Warner Robins requires a land-disturbance permit from the city engineer before any grading, clearing, or excavation…

Acworth requires a land-disturbing activity permit from the public works director before grading, clearing or…

Atlanta requires a Land-Disturbing Activity permit for most projects disturbing over 5,000 square feet, with erosion…

Augusta-Richmond County requires a Land Disturbing Permit before any land-disturbing activity of one acre or more…

Unincorporated Bartow County requires a land disturbance permit and an approved erosion, sedimentation and pollution…

Unincorporated Carroll County requires a land-disturbance permit from the department of community development before…

Chatham County requires an erosion, sedimentation and pollution control plan for land-disturbing activity, with best…

Land-disturbing activity in unincorporated Cherokee County must use best management practices under the county's Soil…

Clearing, grading or otherwise disturbing land in unincorporated Clayton County requires an erosion, sedimentation and…

Cobb County requires best management practices on all land-disturbing activity in the unincorporated area, and treats…

Any land-disturbing activity in unincorporated Columbia County must follow the county's Soil Erosion, Sedimentation and…

Columbus, Georgia requires a Site Development Permit for land-disturbing activity over 5,000 square feet, or a Minor…

In the City of Decatur, Georgia (DeKalb County), anyone conducting land-disturbing activity must get a permit under UDO…

Dunwoody requires a land-disturbance permit before any land-disturbing activity, with erosion, sedimentation and…

Land disturbance in unincorporated Fayette County requires a permit from the environmental management department under…

Forsyth County requires a land-disturbing activity permit before any grading begins, backed by the county's Soil…

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, land-disturbing construction requires a land disturbance permit and Best Management…

Hall County requires a land-disturbing permit and state-approved best management practices for construction sites under…

Marietta's Soil Erosion, Sedimentation and Pollution Control Ordinance, City Code Article 7-8-12, requires a public…

Anyone disturbing land in unincorporated Newton County outside narrow exemptions must follow Sec. 22-22's minimum…

Whitfield County's Soil Erosion, Sedimentation and Pollution Control Ordinance bars land-disturbing activity in the…

Georgia's Coastal Marshlands Protection Act and Shore Protection Act require state permits for development affecting…

Rockdale County's Chapter 320 Flood Damage Prevention ordinance bars new construction, fill or other development in a…

Unincorporated Walton County requires a Development Permit before any activity in a FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard…

Acworth bars development inside the mapped future-conditions floodplain that would raise the base flood or…

Atlanta requires a floodplain development permit from the Watershed Management commissioner, and new single-family…

Chatham County requires a development permit before any land-disturbing or construction activity in a Special Flood…

Cherokee County regulates every Area of Special Flood Hazard and Area of Future-Conditions Flood Hazard under Chapter…

Unincorporated Cobb County requires a development permit before any grading, filling, or construction inside an area of…

Coweta County requires a development permit from the community development director before any construction, filling…

Any development inside a Decatur, Georgia, Area of Special Flood Hazard needs a floodplain permit before work starts…

Dunwoody's special flood hazard areas follow FEMA's June 15, 1994 flood insurance rate maps citywide. Encroachments…

Unincorporated Fayette County bars any development inside an area of special flood hazard or future-conditions flood…

No one may disturb land or build within Forsyth County's FEMA-mapped special flood hazard area without a floodplain…

Fulton County's floodplain rules apply only to unincorporated areas that contain a special flood hazard or flood-prone…

In unincorporated Gwinnett County, any clearing, grading, or development activity within, adjacent to, or affecting a…

No owner or developer may start any development activity in a Hall County area of special flood hazard or…

Houston County's FH Flood Hazard District bars new human-habitation structures and requires Board of Zoning Appeals…

Marietta requires a land development permit before any activity begins in a mapped area of special flood hazard or…

No owner or developer can build, fill, grade or otherwise develop a site inside a special flood hazard or…

Roswell bars new principal buildings from the future-conditions floodplain unless engineering standards are met, and…

Warner Robins requires a development permit before any construction, filling, grading or land disturbance in a…

Augusta-Richmond County requires a Development Permit before any construction in the Area of Special Flood Hazard, with…

Unincorporated Bartow County requires a permit from the county engineering department before any development activity…

Any development inside a mapped special flood hazard area of unincorporated Carroll County needs a development permit…

Any development activity on land in Clayton County's mapped area of special flood hazard needs a floodplain permit…

Any development in Columbia County's mapped special flood hazard areas needs a land disturbance permit under Code of…

Columbus, Georgia requires a Development Permit before any construction or land alteration in a mapped Area of Special…

Unincorporated DeKalb County requires a development permit before any construction begins in a mapped special flood…

Any construction or land-disturbing work within a special flood hazard area in unincorporated Floyd County needs an…

Within the Towaliga Watershed Protection District, Henry County Code § 3-5-382 bars any building or accessory building…

Johns Creek requires a floodplain development permit before any construction or land disturbance in a mapped special…

Macon-Bibb County requires a development permit before any construction, filling, grading, or land alteration in a…

In unincorporated Newton County, no one may grade, fill, build or otherwise develop land inside a special flood hazard…

In South Fulton's mapped flood hazard areas, no development can proceed without a floodplain permit, and new or…

Whitfield County's Flood Damage Control Ordinance applies to every area of special flood hazard in the unincorporated…

In Clayton County's Lake Marina District, no one may moor or anchor a watercraft in the mooring area without first…

Hall County's Unified Development Code defines a marina under Sec. 7.4.2.C as a dock or basin providing secure moorings…

Macon-Bibb County requires a construction permit application to the Tobesofkee Recreation Area Manager before building…

Unincorporated Bartow County treats a private boat dock and boathouse as a customary accessory use for any…

Chatham County requires a construction permit for every private dock built in the unincorporated area, with the fee for…

Unincorporated Floyd County's Unified Land Development Code lists "Boat Docks, Marina, and Waterfront Recreation" as a…

Boat ramps and docks are allowed in Fulton County's special flood hazard and flood-prone areas only as approved…

Augusta-Richmond County's zoning ordinance lists noncommercial boat piers, slips, and boat houses as permitted uses by…

Atlanta caps truck and bus idling at 15 minutes on any street or public place, with a $500 minimum fine and narrow…

In unincorporated Fayette County, letting a stationary truck over 10,000 pounds GVWR idle for more than ten minutes at…

A Macon-Bibb County-owned motor vehicle cannot idle more than 15 minutes while not in traffic, extended to 25 minutes…

Properties operating as outdoor commercial vehicle storage yards in Walton County cannot let vehicles sit and idle from…

Unincorporated Fulton County caps engine idling by county-owned or county-leased vehicles at 15 minutes, stretching to…

New residential construction in Cherokee County's future-conditions floodplain must have its lowest floor, including…

New residential construction and substantial improvements in Columbus, Georgia's mapped flood hazard areas must sit at…

New construction and substantial improvements in unincorporated Fayette County's future-conditions floodplain must set…

Warner Robins requires new construction and substantially improved structures in mapped flood hazard areas to elevate…

Acworth requires new construction and substantial improvements inside the future-conditions floodplain to elevate the…

Atlanta requires elevated structures in mapped floodplains to set their lowest floor at least three feet above the base…

Augusta-Richmond County requires new construction and substantial improvements in flood hazard areas to elevate the…

In unincorporated Bartow County, new residential construction and substantial improvements within the future-conditions…

In the special flood hazard areas of unincorporated Carroll County, new construction and substantial improvements must…

Chatham County's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance requires new and substantially improved structures in A1-30, AE, AH…

New and substantially improved homes built in Clayton County's mapped future-conditions floodplain must have their…

In unincorporated Cobb County, new residential development in the floodplain must keep at least 12,500 square feet of…

New homes and substantial improvements in Columbia County's special flood hazard areas must have the lowest floor…

Coweta County requires new residential construction and substantial improvements in a special flood hazard area to…

New homes and additions built in a Decatur, Georgia floodplain must sit at least three feet above the base flood…

In unincorporated DeKalb County, new construction and substantial improvements to a residential building inside the…

New construction in Dunwoody's future-conditions floodplain must have its lowest floor elevated at least three feet…

New construction and substantial improvements in unincorporated Floyd County's special flood hazard areas must have…

New construction and substantial improvements inside Forsyth County's special flood hazard area must set the lowest…

New construction near a special flood hazard or flood-prone area in unincorporated Fulton County must set its lowest…

Substantially improved residential structures in Gwinnett's flood hazard areas must set the lowest floor at least three…

New residential construction in Hall County's mapped floodplain must sit at least three feet above the base flood…

Johns Creek requires new and substantially improved homes in the flood hazard area to elevate their lowest floor…

In Macon-Bibb County flood zones mapped as AE without a designated floodway, no fill, new structure, or substantial…

Marietta's floodplain ordinance, City Code Article 7-8-10, requires new construction and substantial improvements in…

For streams in unincorporated Newton County's flood hazard areas where FEMA has not published base flood elevation…

New homes built inside Paulding County's future-conditions floodplain must have their lowest floor, including any…

In unincorporated Rockdale County, new residential construction in the future-conditions floodplain must have its…

In Roswell, Georgia's flood hazard areas, new residential construction must set the lowest floor at least 3 feet above…

New and substantially improved homes in South Fulton's mapped floodplain must have their lowest floor, including the…

In unincorporated Walton County, the Land Development Ordinance's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance requires new…

In areas of special flood hazard where base flood elevation data exists, unincorporated Whitfield County requires new…