County resources
Utilities, schools, property records, homestead filing and more for new and soon-to-be homeowners in Homer, Baldwin, Maysville.
Good to know: utility providers and school zones can depend on your exact address — always confirm with the provider. Information is provided as a convenience and may change; let us know if you spot something out of date.
In Banks County the Board of Tax Assessors sets values, and the Tax Commissioner bills and collects taxes and runs the tag office. Both are in the County Annex at 150 Hudson Ridge in Homer. Cities like Baldwin send their own separate city tax bills.
Bills and collects property taxes and handles car tags. Open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Partial payments are accepted, but penalty and interest build on any unpaid balance after December 1.
The Tax Commissioner's property tax page links to the official online payment portal. You can pay without the bill coupon; just write the parcel ID on your check.
Sets your property's value each January 1 (taxed on 40% of fair market value). Value appeals go here, filed within 45 days of your assessment notice.
Free lookup of owners, values, sales, and parcel maps. The map also shows flood plains, streams, soils, and aerial photos.
Keeps the parcel lines and tax maps updated from recorded deeds and plats. Open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Records deeds, mortgages, and plats. Open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
The statewide portal for searching Banks County deed, lien, and plat records online. Some searches and document images need an account.
Each town collects its own city taxes, so call the city directly. For example, Baldwin mails its bills in late November and they are due January 31.
File your homestead exemption with the Banks County Tax Assessors' office by April 1. You must own and live in the home on January 1. Banks County gives large extra exemptions to homeowners 65 and older, with no income limit.
Applications are accepted any time but must be filed by April 1 to count for that year. The Assessors' page says to file with their office.
Lists the local exemptions. If you are 65+, you get $20,000 off county taxes, $20,000 off county bonds, and $20,000 each off school taxes and school bonds, with no income limit. There are bigger amounts for low-income seniors and for disabled homeowners under 65.
The application asks for your deed book and page, parcel number, and purchase details. Seniors fill out the income sections on the back.
Bring a Georgia driver's license or ID and current Banks County registrations for every vehicle you own. Your name must be on the deed. Faxed or emailed applications are not accepted; a USPS postmark by the deadline counts.
Explains the state exemptions, including disabled veteran and surviving spouse. Under newer state law you can apply after April 1, up to the end of your 45-day appeal window.
Limits how fast your home's taxable value can rise each year to the rate of inflation. Banks County voters approved a FLOST sales tax for property-tax relief in November 2025 (1,773 to 805), and a FLOST is only allowed where the county and cities did not opt out. Ask the Assessors whether the school district opted out.
Many homes in Banks County use a private well and septic system. Public water comes from the county or from a town system (Homer, Baldwin, Maysville, Alto, Lula), depending on your address. Ask the seller or call before closing to find out which one serves the property.
The county runs its own water system, with the Mountain Creek Drinking Water Plant, and a sewer system. Open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. For line breaks, call Distribution & Collection at 706-677-3607.
New customers must pay the first time with cash, check, or money order. The 2026 residential base charge is $22 for 3/4". A new 3/4" tap costs $2,600 in total. Online card payments carry a 3.5% fee.
Homer runs its own water system. It also posts water quality reports for the Hidden Lake, Scales Creek, and Chimney Oaks systems. A residential connection is $175, and a new 3/4" tap is $1,625 in total.
Baldwin provides water and sewer. Sign up in person at City Hall with your ID, lease or closing papers, and a $100 deposit. Bills are due the 20th, with a 10% late fee after that.
Maysville provides water and sewer inside the city limits and its service area. The Water Department and Public Works are at 92 Brevard Street.
Alto runs its own water system. The new-customer application, rate schedule, and disconnect forms are posted here. Card payments carry a 4% fee.
Lula runs its own water and wastewater system. Most of the city is in Hall County. The website blocks automated checks, so call City Hall to confirm service for your address.
Free utility line marking before fences, septic repairs, or any digging. This is required by law.
Banks County is in Georgia Public Health District 2, and the Environmental Health office in Homer issues septic permits. You need a soil (perc) test and a septic permit before the county will issue a building permit.
Handles soil evaluations, septic permits, and inspections. Open Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. (closed noon–1), and closes at noon on Friday.
Yes, but you must first take and pass a self-install exam. Call Environmental Health for details.
The district page for the Banks County office. Environmental Health's direct line is 706-677-5009.
Your local drop-off point for well-water and soil tests sent to UGA's lab. Open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Lists the well-water tests, including bacteria and a home-loan water test package. Send samples through the Extension office.
State guidance on private wells: testing, disinfection, and setbacks.
Banks County's own utility list names four electric providers: Georgia Power, Jackson EMC, Habersham EMC, and Hart EMC. Which one serves a home depends on the exact address, so ask the seller for a recent bill.
Banks County is part of Jackson EMC's service area, and many rural homes are on it. The county lists its local number as 706-367-5281. The website blocks automated checks but opens in a browser.
Listed by the county as a Banks County provider; the county also lists 706-367-8383. Start or transfer service online.
Listed on Banks County's electricity page as a local provider. Its own website doesn't list the counties it serves, so confirm the address with the co-op.
Hart EMC's history page lists Banks County among the six counties it serves, and the county lists it as a provider. The number is for Member Services; pay-by-phone is 866-916-4278.
None of the Banks County towns runs a gas utility. Atlanta Gas Light's pipes reach parts of the county, but many rural homes use propane, so check what the house has before you buy.
AGL's ZIP tool includes all the Banks County ZIPs (30547, 30511, 30558, 30510, 30554, 30543), but lines may not reach your street. Call 877-427-4321 for leaks.
If your home is on AGL lines, you buy gas from one of these marketers. Compare prices before signing up.
The county's list of local propane suppliers, including Piedmont Propane (Homer), MJ Propane (Maysville), and Twin Rivers Propane (Baldwin). Ask the seller whether the propane tank is owned or leased.
The county has no curbside pickup and no convenience centers. Residents haul bagged household trash to the Waste Management R&B Landfill in Homer, where it is free. Maysville and Baldwin offer city curbside pickup; elsewhere you can hire a private hauler.
Banks County residents can drop off properly bagged household trash free. Open Monday–Friday, 5 a.m.–4 p.m., and Saturday, 6–11 a.m. Call for prices and rules on other items.
At the landfill. Takes cardboard, mixed paper (no glossy or shredded), aluminum and steel cans, and #1 and #2 plastic bottles. An attendant is there Tuesday–Friday 8–4 and Saturday 7–11.
Pickup is Friday for both trash and recycling. All trash must be bagged and at the curb by 5 a.m. Yard trimmings are not collected.
Pickup is required for homes inside the city and costs $19.09 a month per can on your water bill. Baldwin also offers free brush and limb pickup on the first Monday of each month; call City Hall to be added to the list.
You don't need a permit to burn hand-piled yard debris from October 1 to May 1. A state burn ban applies from May 1 to October 1.
Service in rural Banks County depends heavily on the exact address. Fiber is expanding through a state grant to Spectrum and through TruVista's partnership with Jackson EMC. Check the FCC map for the address before you buy.
Enter the exact address to see every provider and speed reported there.
The state's map of served and unserved locations, including areas funded by grants.
In January 2023 the state awarded Spectrum Southeast $7.45 million to serve 3,984 unserved Banks County locations. Check whether your address is in the build area.
TruVista is building fiber to Jackson EMC members in Jackson, Banks, and Madison counties, according to the Governor's office. Call to check your address.
Kinetic has local service pages for Homer, Alto, Baldwin, and Maysville. Enter your address to see whether Kinetic serves it.
Banks County was the second community in Georgia certified as Broadband Ready, which streamlines permits for internet providers building new lines.
Banks County School District is a single small district with about 2,700 students. All four schools are in Homer: primary, elementary, middle, and high school. If a home is in the Jackson County part of Maysville or the Habersham County part of Baldwin, check which county's district it belongs to.
Serves about 2,700 students in four schools: Banks County Primary, Elementary, Middle, and High School. The district runs as a charter system.
The district's page for registering new students, with the steps and forms.
The state's report card for the district and each school, linked from the district site.
For unincorporated Banks County, Planning & Zoning handles zoning, building permits, and code enforcement. Its office takes only cash or check. Each town (Homer, Baldwin, Maysville, Alto, Lula, Gillsville) handles zoning and permits inside its own limits.
Handles rezoning, variances, building permits, and inspections. A new-home application needs your plat, house plans, and the septic permit. Payment is cash or check only.
Check a parcel's zoning before you buy. Houses must be set back at least 70 feet from the road centerline and 30 feet from property lines.
New homes need building, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits. Homeowners can do their own work with a signed affidavit. Certificates of occupancy are issued 24–48 hours after the final inspection.
Moving a home in requires a permit, priced by the home's width. A pre-owned home must pass inspection before it can be moved.
Covers unincorporated areas only, such as junk vehicles, trash, and work done without a permit. Report through Planning & Development.
The full county code, including zoning, subdivision, and short-term rental rules.
The City Clerk handles building permits, zoning, and annexation requests inside Baldwin. Code Compliance handles overgrown lots and blight.
The City Clerk reviews applications, and Bureau Veritas does all inspections. Applications no longer go to Jackson County.
Homer has its own code of ordinances, and building permits are linked on the town website. Call Town Hall before building inside town limits.
For an emergency, call 911. The Sheriff's Office patrols unincorporated Banks County. Baldwin, Maysville, and Alto have their own police departments. Banks County has no animal control or animal shelter.
Non-emergency line and office. Open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Countywide fire and ambulance service. The county's fire ISO rating is 3/3X, which can affect homeowners insurance.
Lists 12 stations, several staffed by volunteers. Distance to the nearest station affects insurance, so check it for rural property.
Handles 911 dispatch and emergency management. Sign up for Rave Alert emergency notifications.
City police for Baldwin. Baldwin also runs its own fire department (706-778-8711).
City police, on duty 24/7, with dispatch through Jackson County 911. Free prescription-drug drop box at the station.
Town police for Alto. Alto's animal control is handled by Habersham County, even for homes on the Banks side.
The Sheriff's official registry search and alert sign-up, linked from the Sheriff's website.
The county has no animal control or shelter and doesn't pick up strays. Report animal cruelty or attacks to the Sheriff.
The tag office is in Homer, but Banks County has no driver's license office. The closest DDS centers are in Gainesville and Athens. Addresses are assigned only when you get a building permit, never for vacant lots.
New residents must register vehicles within 30 days of moving. Bring your Georgia license, proof of insurance, and proof of a Banks County address.
Nearest driver's license office. Open Tuesday–Friday 8 a.m.–6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.–noon, closed Sunday and Monday. The county's voter page names the Athens DDS (1505 US Hwy 29 N) instead.
Register or update your address here or online through the Secretary of State. Open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Main county branch of the Piedmont Regional Library System.
Second branch in the Piedmont Regional system.
Recreation center with two gyms, Windmill Park (ball fields and 1.5 miles of trails), and Hudson Valley Park (river walking loop and nature trails).
Soil and water testing, 4-H, and advice on lawns, gardens, and livestock.
Public van service open to all county residents, for rides to doctors, grocery stores, pharmacies, and other errands in and outside the county. The brochure has details.
Post your number within 30 days, at least 3 inches high in reflective material, on both sides of the mailbox. If you don't, you can be fined $25 a day.
Low ground along Banks County's rivers and creeks can be in a FEMA flood zone. Check before you buy, because lenders require flood insurance in high-risk zones.
Enter the address to see the official flood zone and download a FIRMette for your lender or insurer.
Georgia DNR's statewide flood map viewer, often quicker for checking a single parcel.
The county parcel map includes flood plains, rivers, and streams. Confirm the zone on FEMA's map.
Static county maps and GIS data. Call GIS for help reading parcel and flood layers.
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