PERMITS

BUILDING PERMITS
You must visit City Hall for all building permits. For more information, you can call (229) 524-2118.
What is a Building Permit?
A building permit ensures that construction, remodeling, or major repair projects meet local and state safety codes. Permits are required to protect both property owners and the community by ensuring work is completed safely and up to standard.


When is a Building Permit Required?
  • New construction (residential or commercial)
  • Additions or major renovations
  • Electrical, plumbing, or structural changes
  • Installation of HVAC systems


How to Obtain a Building Permit:
  1. Complete a Building Permit Application form.
  2. Submit the form with necessary project details (plans, diagrams, contractor information).
  3. Pay the permit fee (if applicable).
  4. Await approval and inspection scheduling.


📄 Applications are available at Donalsonville City Hall.
For questions, please call (229) 524-2118.

BURN PERMITS
​For Burn Permits within the City limits of Donalsonville you can call us at (229) 524-2117.
What is a Burn Permit?
A burn permit is required for open burning such as yard debris, controlled burns, or agricultural burning. Permits help prevent wildfires and ensure safe burning practices.

What is "open burning"?
The Georgia Rules for air Quality (391-3-1-0.1(tt)) define open burning as any outdoor fire from which the products of combustion are emitted directly into the open air without passing through a stack, chimney, or duct. Such burning releases smoke, oxides of nitrogen, and other pollutants that have a negative impact on Georgia's air quality. Georgia's Open Burning Rules (391-3-1-.02(5)) were created to improve air quality in our state. 

When is a Burn Permit Required?
  • Any outdoor burning of natural vegetation, brush, or debris.
  • Agricultural burns (fields, crops, or land clearing).
  • Large-scale controlled burns.

​Important Safety Reminders:
  • Fires must be constantly attended until completely extinguished.
  • Keep water and fire suppression tools nearby.
  • Do not burn on windy days.

Need Assistance? For questions about building permits or burn permits, please contact Donalsonville Fire Rescue at 229-524-2117.

BURN PERMITS & OPEN BURNING REGULATIONS 

For Burn Permits within the City limits of Donalsonville you can call us at (229) 524-2117.
​
The Georgia Rules for Air Quality (391-3-1-.01(tt)) define open burning as any outdoor fire from which the products of combustion are emitted directly into the open air without passing through a stack, chimney, or duct. Such burning releases smoke, oxides of nitrogen, and other pollutants that have a negative impact on Georgia’s air quality. Georgia’s Open Burning Rules(391-3-1-.02(5)) were created to improve air quality in our state.
13 Legal Burn Types

Open burning in Georgia is prohibited with the exception of 13 types of legal burn activities: (1) reduction of leaves on premises, (2) agricultural procedures for production or harvesting of crops (if land tract is 5 acres or less), (3) burning vegetative material for agricultural operations (if land tract is greater than 5 acres), (4) prescribed burning, (5) recreational purposes and cooking, (6) fire-fighting training, (7) acquired structure burns, (8) vegetative debris from storms, (9) weed abatement, disease, and pest prevention, (10) open flame devices, (11), land clearing, construction, and right-of-way maintenance, (12) disposal of packaging  materials for explosives, and (13) land clearing with an air curtain destructor.
Additional burning restrictions may apply based on the county and time of the year.  The Director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division may waive these additional restrictions upon a determination that such open burning is necessary to protect public health, safety or welfare, or there are no reasonable alternatives.
It is unlawful in Georgia to burn man made materials such as tires, shingles, plastics, lumber, or household garbage, even in a burn barrel. For more information on backyard burning, please refer to the Hidden Hazards of Backyard Burning Brochure.

For permits outside of the City of Donalsonville Please Contact Georgia Forestry Commission

All outdoor burning of natural vegetative materials is considered open burning and requires a burn permit. You can obtain one by calling or going online. To learn more about open burning in your county call your local GFC office.

Primary:  1-877-OK2-BURN (+1 877-652-2876)

Contact your local GFC Office
​Prescribed Burning
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Prescribed burning serves many useful purposes including the maintenance and protection of commercial timber stands, land clearing for agriculture, the reduction of vegetative fuels for wildfire prevention, and the management of fire-dependent ecosystems. Georgia’s Open Burning Rules define prescribed burning as “the controlled application of fire to existing vegetative fuels under specified environmental conditions and following appropriate precautionary measures, which causes the fire to be confined to a predetermined area and accomplishes one or more planned land management objectives as specified in paragraphs 12-6-146(3), (4), and (7) of the Georgia Prescribed Burning Act or to mitigate catastrophic wildfires.” The framework of procedures and requirements for managing smoke from prescribed fires is detailed in Georgia’s Basic Smoke Management Plan.