New law streamlines Georgia’s permitting process

This week, Governor Brian Kemp signed legislation that will streamline Georgia’s building permit process. Senate Bill 447, authored by Sen. Clint Dixon (R-Gwinnett), is designed to tighten Georgia’s existing 45-day timeframe for local governments to review building permit applications and to create clear application criteria for all parties involved, both local governments and developers. It will also require local governments that process more than 250 permits per year to post real-time permit status updates on a public website by January 1, 2028.

Georgia Public Policy Foundation President and CEO Kyle Wingfield released the following statement after the bill signing: 

“We are pleased to see the Georgia General Assembly take a significant step toward allowing more housing to be built in Georgia, and thus making housing more affordable, by streamlining the permitting process. Since 2021, the Georgia Public Policy Foundation has researched Georgia’s housing needs and has found that the cost of regulatory delay in housing construction is no longer just a bureaucratic headache for builders; it has a direct impact on the bank accounts of families trying to purchase a home. Unfortunately, the sheer length of time it takes to gain approval has become a significant tax on prospective homebuyers. We applaud Governor Brian Kemp and the General Assembly for realizing that easing regulatory burdens in housing will help more Georgia homebuyers.”