County resources
Utilities, schools, property records, homestead filing and more for new and soon-to-be homeowners in Elberton, Bowman.
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 Information is provided as a convenience and may change; let us know if you spot something out of date.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 Elbert County, the Board of Tax Assessors sets values, takes property returns and approves exemptions. The Tax Commissioner bills and collects the tax and also runs the car tag office. Deeds and plats are recorded with the Clerk of Superior Court at the courthouse on South Oliver Street.
The office that values property, takes returns (Jan 1–Apr 1) and approves exemptions. Open Mon–Fri, 8:00–5:00. To appeal, file within 45 days of the date on your assessment notice; the 2026 notices went out June 23.
Search by owner, address or parcel ID to see the owner, assessed value, exemptions, sales history and the parcel map. This is the same tool the Assessors' site links to.
Explains who does what. Homes are assessed at 40% of fair market value. In Elbert, property returns are filed with the Tax Assessors, not the Tax Commissioner.
Pay property tax bills and renew car tags. The site forwards to an online payment portal that may not load in some browsers; if so, call the office. The phone number comes from the county's directory.
Records deeds, liens and plats and collects transfer and intangible taxes. Real estate records go back to 1790, and public search terminals are available in the office. Recording a real estate or UCC document costs $25.
Georgia's statewide online index of deeds and liens recorded by county clerks, including Elbert. Some searches need a paid subscription; certified copies are ordered through the Clerk's eCertification portal.
The state's summary for Elbert County: appeal deadlines (45 days), the Dec 20 default due date with 60 days to pay before interest, and the rules for vehicle tags and mobile home permits.
In Elbert County, file for homestead with the Board of Tax Assessors (not the Tax Commissioner) between January 1 and April 1. You must own and live in the home as of January 1. Seniors get notably bigger local exemptions here, so anyone 62 or older should ask about them when filing.
Applications filed after April 1 count toward the next year. Bring your driver's license showing the home address. For income-based senior exemptions, also bring Social Security, pension, W-2 and tax-return paperwork. Once approved, the exemption renews automatically until the home changes owners.
Homeowners 65 and older get a $10,000 county exemption with no income limit (L1). L4 adds the age-62 school exemption, which is income-limited. Under a local act voters passed in 2024, these homes' values are frozen against reappraisal increases. If the homestead portion is worth $250,000 or less, the school exemption rises to $25,000.
The Assessors' 2026 guide says other homesteads are covered by the state's floating homestead, which limits reappraisal increases to inflation (the 2026 index is 1.027%). Additions, remodels and new acreage are not shielded. No local opt-out is mentioned, but call to confirm whether each taxing body participates.
The disabled veteran exemption is $126,526 for 2026. Bring your VA letter showing a 100% disability rating. Separate exemptions cover surviving spouses of service members, peace officers and firefighters.
The state's overview of all homestead exemptions and the property tax deferral program for owners 62 and older with lower incomes.
Water depends on your address. Elberton Utilities serves the City of Elberton and some nearby unincorporated areas, and the City of Bowman runs its own water, sewer and gas system. Many rural Elbert County homes, including much of the lake area, are on private wells and septic. Before you buy, call the city utility with the street address to confirm service.
Serves the city and some areas just outside the city limits. Drinking water is drawn from Lake Russell. Sewer reaches about 2,500 locations, so not every city water customer has city sewer.
Apply online or by phone. Bring proof of ownership or a lease, a photo ID and your SSN. There's a $25 account fee, and a deposit may apply depending on credit. Requests made before 4 p.m. on a weekday may be connected the same day. Call with an address to check whether service is available there.
The online payment portal for Elberton Utilities and ElbertonNET. You can also pay at the drive-through or 24-hour drop box at 230 N. McIntosh St.
Bowman runs its own water, sewer and gas utilities. City Hall is open Mon–Fri 8–5 and closed 12–1 for lunch. For water leaks, call (706) 498-1521 or the superintendent's cell at (706) 680-1696.
Download the new-service application, the bank-draft form and the annual Bowman Water System water quality report.
Pay online, set up bank draft, or pay in person at City Hall. Mail payments to PO Box 549, Bowman, GA 30624.
Outside the Elberton and Bowman lines, most homes use septic and many use private wells. Septic permits and inspections of existing systems come from the Elbert County Environmental Health office (Northeast Health District). For well water, UGA Extension in Elberton sends samples to the state lab.
Handles septic permits, repairs, existing-system evaluations and well concerns. Staff are in the office from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. on weekdays, so call ahead for other times.
Application requirements for new and repair septic permits, site evaluations, and homeowner septic care guides. An inspection is required for every septic permit.
Bring well water samples here to send to the UGA lab. A basic mineral test is $25 and a bacteria test is $40. Call before collecting a bacteria sample, and ask about the home-closing water test (W33B).
The UGA lab in Athens that runs Extension's water and soil tests. Submit samples through the county Extension office rather than directly to the lab.
A plain-language guide to which well tests to order and how often to test.
Elbert County has more than one electric provider, and the right one depends on your address. Elberton Utilities serves the city and its assigned territory in the county, and Hart EMC serves rural parts of the county. Georgia Power serves most Georgia counties. Ask the seller for a recent bill, or call each provider with the address.
The city-owned electric system (a MEAG Power member) serves Elberton and its assigned territory in Elbert County, about 4,600 locations. To report an outage day or night, call (706) 213-3278.
Account holders 62 and older can get $6 a month off the electric base charge and are exempt from late penalties. Bring proof of age.
An electric co-op serving Hart, Stephens, Franklin, Madison, Banks and Elbert counties. Call Member Services to start service (8–4, Mon–Fri). Have your 911 address or meter number ready, and a deposit may be required.
Report or check outages if you're a Hart EMC member.
Georgia Power serves 155 of Georgia's 159 counties (per the PSC). In Elbert County, confirm by address whether a home is served by Georgia Power, Hart EMC or Elberton. To report an outage, call 1-888-891-0938 (24/7).
Piped natural gas in Elbert County comes from the cities. Elberton Utilities' gas system covers the city and a large part of the county, and Bowman runs a small city gas system. If no gas main runs to the address, plan on propane or all-electric.
Serves about 4,000 locations in the city and a large part of the county. Offers gas appliance rebates and on-bill financing for gas equipment (up to $6,500 over 60 months). Call to ask whether a main reaches your address.
If you smell gas, leave the building first, then call 24/7 or call 911. Don't flip switches or try to work the valves.
Bowman's own gas system. For a gas leak, call the gas department cell at (706) 680-1698.
Explains Georgia's gas marketer choice, which applies only in Atlanta Gas Light territory. City-system customers in Elberton and Bowman buy gas directly from the city and don't pick a marketer.
Inside Elberton city limits, the city provides weekly curbside trash pickup through your utility account, plus leaf and limb pickup. In the rest of the county, you take trash and recyclables to one of eight county convenience centers or the transfer station, or hire a private hauler.
There are eight drop-off convenience centers, including on Petersburg Rd, Longstreet Rd, Chastain Rd, Jones Ferry Rd, N. Segars St, Turner Hill Rd, Centerville Rd and Adams Industrial Dr. Every center takes recyclables. Hours aren't posted, so call.
Weekly curbside pickup in a 90-gallon cart for $16.25 a month plus a $3.75 county tipping surcharge. Have the cart at the curb by 7 a.m. An extra cart costs $85.
A drive-through drop-off open Mon–Fri, 8–5. Takes clean paper, cardboard, glass, plastic bottles and metal cans.
Twice-monthly curbside pickup for city residents. Limbs must be under 6 inches across and 6 feet long, and piles no larger than 5×5×10 feet. Stumps and root balls aren't taken, and oversized piles cost $45.
ElbertonNET, run by the City of Elberton, is the main local fiber and cable internet provider and has expanded well beyond the city. Check any address on the FCC map, and pre-register with ElbertonNET if the address isn't served yet.
The city-owned fiber and coax internet service. It also offers cable TV and digital phone, and serves over 4,200 homes in all parts of Elbert County.
Enter an address to sign up or pre-register. A $100 pre-registration payment goes toward connecting your home, and neighborhoods with the most pre-registrations get built first.
Enter an address to see every provider reporting service there, including satellite and fixed wireless, along with advertised speeds.
The state's broadband office, with Georgia's availability map and information on expansion grants for unserved areas.
The Elbert County School District has one school for each grade band, so every address in the county goes to the same schools and there are no attendance zones to check. Register K–12 students at the Central Office, and Pre-K students at the Blackwell Learning Center.
Runs the county's public schools: Elbert County Primary (K–2), Elementary (3–5), Middle (6–8) and Comprehensive High (9–12).
Call for an appointment (8:00–3:30). Bring a birth certificate, Form 3231 immunization record, Social Security card and two proofs of residence. A deed, lease or utility bill counts as proof; phone and cable bills don't.
All Pre-K students enroll here. Georgia Pre-K is for children who turn 4 by September 1.
Call the bus shop to find the bus route for your address.
The state's report cards and performance data for each school.
For unincorporated Elbert County, building, septic-related, 911 address and land-disturbance permits go through the county's Code Enforcement / Planning & Zoning office. Inside Elberton, the city's Planning & Zoning and Building Inspection staff handle it. Lakefront owners on Russell or Hartwell also need to follow Army Corps shoreline rules.
Handles county zoning, building, electrical, mobile home, sign, demolition and land-disturbance permits. Applications are on this page, and you can email permits@elbertga.us.
The county's residential and commercial building permit application. On a septic lot, get your septic permit from Environmental Health first.
The county's zoning, land-use and nuisance rules, searchable on Municode.
Zoning verification is free by email; include the address or parcel number. You need a permit for building, remodeling, plumbing, electrical, gas, HVAC and driveway work, and permits expire if work hasn't started within 6 months. Call the inspector before you start.
Permit applications for building, roofing, electrical, plumbing, gas, HVAC, storage buildings, driveways, demolition, land disturbance, mailboxes and signs, plus residential checklists.
Lake Russell borders much of Elbert County. Corps policy here doesn't allow private exclusive-use facilities such as private docks. Call the project office before clearing, mowing or building near Corps land. Toll-free: 1-800-944-7207.
Applies only if the property borders Lake Hartwell. Private docks and vegetation work there need a Corps shoreline permit. Call the lake office or toll-free 1-888-893-0678 to reach your area shoreline ranger.
The county requires a timber harvest notification before land is logged. The county's permits page links here.
Free utility locating, required by Georgia law before you dig, fence or set posts. Call 811 or file a request online before you start.
Call 911 for emergencies. The Sheriff's Office covers the county outside city limits, and Elberton has its own police and fire departments. Elbert County Fire is mostly volunteer and hauls water in rural areas, which can affect homeowners insurance, so ask your insurer about the fire rating at a specific address.
Law enforcement for unincorporated Elbert County. The site blocks automated checks, and we couldn't confirm a non-emergency number from an official page, so call 911 in an emergency or check the site for current numbers.
Covers the county with 12 volunteer stations and one full-time station. Its ISO rating is 4 (water haul). Outside the Elberton and Bowman hydrant areas, firefighters use dry hydrants and lake suction points.
Law enforcement inside Elberton city limits.
Fire protection inside the city. For sprinkler or extinguisher questions, call the fire inspector at (706) 213-3152.
Search registered offenders by address, county or name, including Elbert County.
Elberton has its own Driver Services (DDS) center, and car tags are handled by the Tax Commissioner. New residents should register to vote, request a 911 address for any new house, and get a library card. The PINES card works at libraries statewide.
Driver's licenses, out-of-state transfers, knowledge tests and road tests. Open Tue–Fri, 8:00–6:00, and closed Sunday, Monday and Saturday. The phone number is the DDS statewide contact center.
Register a newly acquired vehicle within 30 days. Renewals are due by your birthday. The phone number comes from the county's directory.
Your local elections office, with polling places, advance voting dates and sample ballots.
Register to vote or update your address online, then check your precinct and polling place.
New homes in the county need an official 911 address. Utilities, including Hart EMC, may ask for it when you set up service.
The main library. It's part of Georgia PINES, so one card works at libraries statewide. The Bowman branch is at 21 Prince Ave., (706) 321-4036.
Youth sports, summer camp and fitness programs.
The City of Elberton's animal control and shelter, open Mon–Fri 8–5. Strays are held for 5 days. City rules require pets to be under control and wearing current rabies tags.
Soil and water testing, gardening and pest help, plus 4-H. Open Mon–Fri, 8–12 and 1–5.
Report potholes, washouts or other problems on county roads. There's an online request form on this page.
The county government's main line and a directory of county departments.
City government for Elberton residents: council, business licenses, municipal court and city services.
Flood risk in Elbert County is mainly along creeks and rivers. Lake Russell and Lake Hartwell levels are controlled by the Army Corps. Check FEMA's official map for any property, and ask the county or city permit office before building near a stream.
Enter an address to see the official flood zone and print a FIRMette. A high-risk zone (A or AE) usually means a lender will require flood insurance.
The state floodplain program, with Georgia flood map resources and contacts for map questions.
Explains flood insurance, including policies for homes outside high-risk zones, and helps you find an agent.
Use the county parcel map to find the parcel boundary and nearby streams before checking FEMA's map.
Use our under-contract checklist, find trusted local pros, or ask your agent anything.