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Ashburn's city laws, in plain English. Ask a question, find the section, see what needs work.
The most Ashburn parts of the Ashburn code
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★ Only in Ashburn · Sec. 22-92Your family reunion might need a permitIf you're holding a family reunion, or a cookout or picnic with 20 or more people, on city property like a park, the code counts it as a "special event." That means applying 30 to 90 days ahead.See the section★ Only in Ashburn · Sec. 6-211Five minutes outside a barStanding outside a bar or restaurant that serves drinks for more than five minutes is an offense. So is two or more people "congregating" out there for more than five minutes.See the section★ Only in Ashburn · Sec. 78-168Five neighbors can start a blight inspectionAt least five city residents can ask for a blighted-property inspection on a parcel. You don't have to wait on the city to start it.See the section★ Only in Ashburn · Sec. 82-3Golf carts are street-legal hereYou can drive a golf cart on city streets posted at 35 mph or less after a one-time $15 registration, with $25,000 in liability insurance. You can't cross Highways 41, 112, or 59 until the state marks crossings.See the section★ Only in Ashburn · Sec. 2-64The city's own minimum wageFull-time city employees have a city-set minimum wage of $11.00 an hour, set in 2016.See the section★ Only in Ashburn · Sec. 10-91Your Wi-Fi might make you an "internet cafe"The definition of an internet cafe is written so broadly it could cover any business that lets customers use two or more of its computers, even as a side service.See the section
What needs work
233 spots where the code hasn't kept up
- Sec. 6-1: Definitions
- Sec. 10-39: Location
- Sec. 14-130: Dangerous dogs—Generally
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Side by side with Tifton, Warner Robins, Valdosta
Dogs, grass, golf carts, food trucks, and more. What our neighbors do, and ideas worth borrowing.
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The whole code, chapter by chapter
Table of contents and search →Front matterFront matterThis is the cover page of Ashburn's Code of Ordinances, which was republished in 2007 by order of the City Council. It lists who held office when it was republished and a second list of 'current officials,' and it explains how the section numbers and history notes work. The Charter Comparative Table (node CHCOTA) shows which city ordinances or resolutions changed which Charter sections, from 2002 through 2024.2 need a lookCharterCharterThe Charter is Ashburn's founding document, kind of like the city's constitution. It was passed by the Georgia General Assembly in 2001. It sets up a council of a mayor and five councilmembers, a hired city manager who runs day-to-day operations, the municipal court, how elections and vacancies work, and the city's taxing, budgeting and borrowing powers. Anything the Charter doesn't cover is handled by city ordinance or state law.Newest change 202413 need a lookChapter 1General ProvisionsChapter 1 is the instruction manual for reading the rest of the code. It defines common words like 'person' and 'street,' explains how to count deadlines, says that if a court strikes down one part the rest still stands, and sets the default punishment for breaking a city ordinance when no other penalty is listed.Unchanged since the 2007 code1 needs a lookChapter 2AdministrationChapter 2 covers how city government runs: when the council meets and how residents can speak, the ethics code and how to file a complaint, rules for city employees (including drug testing and the city minimum wage), budgeting and purchasing limits, city credit cards, the Community Relations Commission, and how the city protects utility customers' personal information.Newest change 201818 need a lookChapter 6Alcoholic BeveragesThis is the rulebook for selling, serving and drinking alcohol in Ashburn. It covers who can get a beer, wine or liquor license and how the city council grants, renews, suspends or takes one away; what hours stores and bars can sell; rules for events, BYOB ('brown bagging') and catering; the city's alcohol excise taxes; and a ban on drinking or open containers on city streets and property.Newest change 202317 need a lookChapter 10Amusements and EntertainmentThis chapter covers two kinds of businesses. Article II regulates adult entertainment businesses (strip clubs, adult bookstores and theaters, and similar) — where they can locate, their hours, permits for owners and workers, and a ban on alcohol. Article III sets licensing and operating rules for pool rooms, game rooms, billiard halls and internet cafes, including hours, rules for minors, and a ban on gambling.Newest change 201915 need a lookChapter 14AnimalsThis chapter covers keeping animals in town: loose dogs and livestock, rabies shots and tags, reporting bites, cruelty and neglect, impoundment at the city's designated shelter, and the rules for dogs classified as dangerous or vicious. A word of caution: a lot of it is printed twice (rules from 2001 and again from 2011), and two different sets of dangerous-dog rules are still on the books, so it's worth asking the city which version they enforce.Newest change 201510 need a lookChapter 18Buildings and Building RegulationsThis chapter says which state construction codes the city enforces (building, plumbing, electrical, fire and so on), requires every house and building to display its assigned street number, and sets water-saving limits for toilets, faucets and shower heads. It's short, and the list of code editions hasn't been updated since 2009.Newest change 20093 need a lookChapter 22BusinessesThis is the chapter for anyone running a business in town: the yearly occupation tax (the city's business license), plus special rules for pawn shops, phone companies, arcades and coin-operated machines, fireworks stands, food trucks, and permits for special events on city property like festivals, parades and big cookouts in the park. Several parts are fairly recent (2015-2025), but some, like the pawnshop rules, are older and still describe paper record books.Newest change 202515 need a lookChapter 26CemeteriesThese are the rules for city-owned cemeteries: how graves and vaults must be set, what kind of headstones and monuments are allowed, what you can and can't plant or put on a lot, and who can do monument work. A cemetery lot is set at $125. Most of the rules go back to the 1983 city code.Newest change 20114 need a lookChapter 30Civil EmergenciesThis chapter lays out what happens when there's a disaster like a tornado or hurricane: the mayor can declare a local emergency, an emergency management director coordinates the response, and the city can impose curfews, close areas, waive permit fees, and allow temporary trailers while homes are repaired. It also makes price gouging illegal during an emergency and requires out-of-town contractors to register before doing repair work.Newest change 20123 need a lookChapter 34CourtsThis chapter lays out how Ashburn's municipal court runs: when it meets, how tickets and summonses get served, what happens if you miss court, and how bonds work. It also sets up the court-appointed defense lawyer and city prosecutor positions, and the extra charges added on top of fines. If you ever get a city citation, this is the chapter that explains the process.Newest change 20188 need a lookChapter 38EnvironmentThis is the chapter for overgrown lots, junk cars, run-down houses and condemned buildings. It sets minimum standards for homes and rentals, like working plumbing, heat and hot water, and lays out how the city can take an owner to court, clean up or tear down a property, and put a lien on it. It also covers erosion control for land clearing and construction, protection zones around the city's water wells, and outdoor watering days.Newest change 20229 need a lookChapter 42Fire Prevention and ProtectionThis short chapter sets up the fire department and spells out Ashburn's burning rules. You need a free permit from Ashburn Fire and Emergency Services to burn natural vegetation, the burn has to be well away from houses and streets, and you can never burn trash, tires, plastics or building materials.Unchanged since the 2007 code4 need a lookChapter 46FloodsThis chapter is Ashburn's flood damage prevention ordinance, the set of rules that keeps the city in the National Flood Insurance Program. It applies to FEMA-mapped flood hazard areas: you need a development permit before building or filling there, new homes have to be raised above expected flood levels, and floodways have to stay clear. It doesn't cover everyday ditch or yard flooding outside the mapped zones.Newest change 20095 need a lookChapter 50Health and SanitationThis chapter does two things. It adopts the state health rules for restaurants, motels, septic systems, drinking water and public pools by reference. It also sets up a 1,500-foot protection zone around each city water well, where things that could pollute the water, like septic tanks, fuel tanks and landfills, aren't allowed.Newest change 20102 need a lookChapter 54Historical PreservationThis chapter creates the Ashburn Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) and the Ashburn Local Historic District. If your property is a designated historic property or sits in the district, you need a 'certificate of appropriateness' from the HPC before making exterior changes, demolishing or moving a building. Ordinary repairs, interior work and paint colors don't need one.Unchanged since the 2007 code5 need a lookChapter 58Law EnforcementThis chapter sets up the Ashburn Police Department: how the chief is appointed, what the chief and officers must do, who qualifies to be an officer, and the rules of conduct. It is mostly about how the department is run, not about rules for residents.Newest change 20095 need a lookChapter 62Offenses and Miscellaneous ProvisionsThis is the city's general 'don't do it' chapter. It covers firing guns, loitering, noise, fireworks, juvenile and park curfews, disorderly conduct, littering, false burglar alarms and abandoned shopping carts. Most violations go to Ashburn Municipal Court.Newest change 201819 need a lookChapter 66PlanningThis chapter creates the Greater Turner Planning Advisory Commission, a joint advisory board for Turner County, Ashburn, Sycamore and Rebecca. It reviews the joint comprehensive plan and gives advice on land development rules. It can only advise; the city council makes the decisions.Newest change 20213 need a lookChapter 70Solid WasteThis chapter covers garbage: how trash must be bagged and stored, the pickup schedule, what the city will and won't haul, private haulers, and the garbage fee on your utility bill. An editor's note says the city contracts with the Solid Waste Management Authority of Crisp County (agreement dated 1996).Newest change 20235 need a lookChapter 74Streets, Sidewalks and Other Public PlacesThis chapter covers parade permits, displaying merchandise on sidewalks, and the rules utility companies must follow to put lines, pipes and poles in city rights-of-way. The old interstate sign rules here were repealed in 2011.Newest change 20085 need a lookChapter 78TaxationThis chapter covers city property taxes: billing, due dates, interest, penalties, and what happens if they go unpaid, up to a tax sale. It also covers taxes on insurers, banks and hotel rooms, the monthly E-911 charge, and the 2022 Blighted Property Ordinance, which raises taxes on officially blighted, non-owner-occupied property and gives a tax break once it's fixed.Newest change 202211 need a lookChapter 80TelecommunicationsThis chapter sets the rules for companies that want to run cable TV or telephone/telecom lines along Ashburn's streets and rights-of-way. It covers how a company applies for a franchise, what the city looks at before saying yes, and the fees involved. It also sets the 5% franchise fee the city collects from cable and video companies that hold a Georgia state franchise. Most of it matters to companies, not households, but it shapes who can offer service in town.Newest change 20084 need a lookChapter 82Traffic and VehiclesThis chapter covers the everyday rules of the road in Ashburn. It adopts Georgia's Uniform Rules of the Road, sets speed zones, keeps big commercial trucks off residential streets except to make deliveries, and controls junk cars stored outside. It also lets residents drive golf carts ("motorized carts") on most city streets, and it sets up school-zone speed cameras along with how those tickets and appeals work.Newest change 20217 need a lookChapter 86UtilitiesThis chapter covers Ashburn's city-run water, sewer and natural gas service. It sets the rules on connection permits, deposits, meters, late penalties and shutoffs, disputing a bill, and the city's right to come on your property to read meters and fix lines. It also covers outdoor watering hours, what you can and can't put down the sewer, when you have to tie into city sewer, and how the gas system extends lines to new customers. The actual rates and deposit amounts aren't in the code. They're kept on file with the city clerk.Newest change 202016 need a lookZoningAppendix A — Zoning (Sections 1-6): Districts, lots, setbacks, fences and accessory buildingsThis is the part of Ashburn's zoning ordinance (adopted Feb. 1, 1996) that splits the city into zoning districts, from R-20 single-family neighborhoods to downtown commercial and heavy industrial, and sets the basic ground rules: how big a lot has to be, how far back you build, how tall fences can be, and where sheds and pools can go. The chart that lists exactly which uses are allowed in each district (Section 5) didn't come through in the copy we reviewed, so check that section on Municode or with the zoning administrator before relying on it.Newest change 20185 need a lookZoningAppendix A — Zoning (Sections 8-9): Mobile homes, home businesses, apartments and nonconforming usesThese sections cover special housing and use situations: running a business out of your home, where manufactured (mobile) homes can go and what they have to look like, manufactured home parks, apartment and townhome projects, and what happens to older uses and buildings that were legal before the rules changed (grandfathered or 'nonconforming' uses). Nearly all of this has not been amended since 1996.Unchanged since 19965 need a lookZoningAppendix A — Zoning (Section 7): Parking and drivewaysSection 7 sets how many off-street parking spaces each kind of building needs, how parking lots are laid out, and how many driveways (curb cuts) a property can have and where. Downtown (D-C) is exempt from the parking-count chart. It was last touched in 2018.Newest change 2018ZoningAppendix A — Zoning (Sections 10 and 15): SignsSection 10 controls sign size, placement and permits, including billboards along I-75, yard signs, and signs that don't need a permit. Section 15 (added 2011) sets a $150-per-day fine for sign violations. The sign rules themselves date to 1996 and sort signs partly by what they say, which is worth a legal check-up (see flags).Newest change 20112 need a lookZoningAppendix A — Zoning (Sections 11-14): Permits, variances, appeals and rezoningThese sections explain who runs zoning (the zoning administrator), when you need a building permit or certificate of occupancy, how to ask the three-member Board of Zoning Appeals for a variance or special exception or to appeal a staff decision, and how the Planning Commission and City Council handle rezonings. None of these procedures have been amended since 1996, even though Georgia's Zoning Procedures Law was substantially revised in 2022.Unchanged since 19969 need a look
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This is a plain-English guide, not legal advice. The official code is on Municode and at City Hall. Our copy is from April 30, 2026.