County resources
Utilities, schools, property records, homestead filing and more for new and soon-to-be homeowners in Lawrenceville, Duluth, Suwanee, Buford, Snellville.
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 Information is provided as a convenience and may change; let us know if you spot something out of date.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 Gwinnett the Assessors' Office sets values and the Tax Commissioner bills and collects; your bill also carries county fees like stormwater and (in unincorporated areas) trash. Many cities bill their own city property taxes separately, so check with your city.
Sets assessed values; first floor of the Justice & Administration Center, 8am-5pm weekdays. Email PropertyServices@GwinnettCounty.com.
The Assessors' official property search for values, sales and property details.
Appeal within 45 days of the date on your Annual Notice of Assessment, with no extensions. Filing is free online, by mail or in person, but not by email or fax.
Bills and collects property taxes; 2026 bills are due November 15. Office open 8am-5pm weekdays; book in-person visits through the Waitwhile link on the locations page.
Search your bill by address or parcel and pay online. Mail payments to PO Box 372, Lawrenceville, GA 30046.
Free county map: search by parcel ID, address or owner, with zoning, utility and septic layers. Start and full user guides are linked on the page.
Records deeds, plats and liens; open 8am-5pm weekdays, recording counter closes at 4:30pm. Plats must be e-filed through GSCCCA.
Statewide index of recorded deeds, liens and plats; use it to pull a copy of your deed or find the PT-61 form.
Gwinnett homestead applications go to the Tax Commissioner (not the Assessors), and you can apply online. You must own and live in the home on January 1; to cut that year's taxes, apply by the appeal deadline on your assessment notice.
Applications are accepted year-round; allow 6-8 weeks to process. All your and your spouse's vehicles must be registered at the Gwinnett address, and your driver's license must show it.
The regular homestead exemption (S1R) takes $10,000 off county, $8,000 off school and $7,000 off recreation taxes. The page also lists the disabled, disabled veteran, surviving spouse and public-service-employee exemptions.
Added automatically with any homestead exemption. It holds the assessed value constant for the county portion of the bill (home plus up to 5 acres); school and city taxes still follow current value.
L5A fully exempts the home and up to 1 acre from Gwinnett school taxes at age 65 if income is $124,648 or less (2026). It does not apply to Buford City Schools. Bring prior-year federal 1040 and GA Form 500 pages.
Commissioners opted out of the statewide floating homestead exemption in early 2025, saying the existing Value Offset Exemption protects county taxes better. Cities held their own hearings.
The district's official page says the board intended to opt out, citing about $35 million in lost FY2025-26 revenue, and lists the 2025 public hearings.
Buford gives a $100,000 regular city homestead exemption plus a value offset frozen at 2020 or later, applied automatically from your county homestead. Two extra city exemptions must be filed in person at City Hall.
State overview of homestead eligibility and the statewide exemptions.
Gwinnett County Water Resources serves most of the county, including most cities. Buford, Loganville and Auburn run their own water systems, so check your address before you set up service.
Start service online up to 14 days ahead; there is no same-day service and requests take up to 2 business days. The residential activation fee is $25, non-refundable.
Billing questions 8am-5pm weekdays, with a 24-hour automated line; email DWRcare@gwinnettcounty.com. For water emergencies and main breaks, call 678.376.7000 at any hour.
Tiered water rates ($5.78 per 1,000 gallons for the first 8,000), plus monthly water and sewer base charges. Sewer customers pay both base fees.
Buford draws water from Lake Lanier and buys some from Gwinnett. Homebuyers pay a $50 water-only or $75 water-and-sewer deposit on the first bill.
To start residential water, sewer and sanitation you must apply in person at City Hall. After-hours emergency line: 770-466-0911.
New accounts are opened in person at City Hall (ext. 200). Bring a valid ID plus your lease or settlement statement; there is a $52 trash cart delivery fee.
About 30% of Gwinnett residents use septic, so check before you buy. A $0.00 sewer charge on a Gwinnett water bill usually means the home is on septic. Septic permits and records come from GNR Public Health's Gwinnett Environmental Health office.
Handles septic permits, repairs and records back to 1959. No applications on Wednesdays, 1-2pm, or after 4pm; a soil report is required before any septic permit.
A residential septic site evaluation, permit and initial inspection costs $275. A visual evaluation of an existing system (useful before you buy) costs $145.
Explains how to check your bill or the GIS map for a septic sketch and past permits. Pumping your tank earns a 10% stormwater fee credit each year for five years.
Drop off soil or well water samples 8am-4:30pm for the UGA lab; staff provide the forms. Call for current test types and prices.
Your address decides your electric provider: Georgia Power, Jackson EMC, Walton EMC and Sawnee EMC hold PSC-assigned territories in Gwinnett. The cities of Lawrenceville, Buford and Norcross also run their own electric systems.
Investor-owned utility serving much of Gwinnett; start or transfer service online.
Member co-op serving much of north and east Gwinnett. The local office is open 8am-5pm weekdays and has a 24/7 payment kiosk.
Co-op serving south and east Gwinnett; Snellville is its largest member area. Customer care 7am-7pm weekdays.
Co-op serving a small part of northwest Gwinnett near the Forsyth line. Call this number for service and outages, or email customerservice@sawnee.coop.
The city's electric system serves most residents inside Lawrenceville city limits. The residential utility deposit is $200; give 24-48 hours' notice for new connections.
MEAG member city that serves parts of Buford. For after-hours outages call 770-932-7986; homebuyers pay one $235 utility deposit on the first bill.
City-owned electric serving Norcross addresses; the page links a sign-up form for new service. 24-hour outage line: 678-421-2069.
Most of Gwinnett is on the Atlanta Gas Light pipeline, where you choose a certified marketer for billing. Lawrenceville, Buford and Sugar Hill run city gas systems that reach well beyond their city limits (Buford Gas serves Dacula, for example).
About 50,000 customers in Lawrenceville and parts of Gwinnett, Rockdale and Walton counties. Gas leaks (24/7): 770-963-3332 or 911.
Serves over 46,000 customers in parts of Gwinnett, Hall, Barrow, Jackson and Walton counties. Apply by mail, fax or email to newservice@cityofbuford.com; allow 2 working days.
City-run gas for its service area; start service with the city's forms. Leaks and maintenance: 770-271-2137.
Owns the pipes outside the city systems and handles leaks and meters. You buy gas from a PSC-certified marketer.
Official list of marketers for Atlanta Gas Light customers; compare plans before you sign up.
In unincorporated Gwinnett, trash is handled by a county-assigned hauler for your area and billed on your property tax bill. Most cities run their own programs.
Five haulers serve assigned areas. The 2026 fee is $289.68 a year, billed on the tax bill; seniors 62+ get a discount, and the fee rises to $300.12 in 2027. Call 770.822.7141 to start service after a move.
Red Oak (North) 770.536.7868, Republic (East) 678.963.2800, Southern Sanitation (South) 770.554.6450, Waste Management (Northwest) 678.684.1493, Waste Pro (Southwest) 770.451.9395. Bulk pickup is included if scheduled 48 hours ahead.
Look up where to recycle hard-to-recycle items. Glass isn't collected curbside, but the county has drop-off sites.
City crews collect from a 95-gallon cart, with recycling every other week. Extra trash outside the cart costs $15.
City curbside pickup of yard waste, limbs and small junk; the leaf vacuum runs Nov. 1-Mar. 31. No contractor or construction debris.
The city contracts with Republic; call Republic first, then City Hall at 770.476.3434. You can opt out of recycling but not trash.
City picks up weekly from one free 65-gallon cart. Extra garbage must go in City Blue Bags ($17 for 10); call Public Works to schedule bulk pickup.
Waste Management bills Sugar Hill residents directly, quarterly; call it to set up an account.
City contract with WM, billed once a year on the Gwinnett property tax bill; seniors 65+ get a 15% discount. Yard waste and bulk pickup cost extra.
Cable and fiber coverage is strong in most of Gwinnett, but providers vary street by street. Check the FCC map with your exact address.
Enter an address to see every provider reporting service there and its advertised speeds.
AT&T Fiber and Internet availability lookup; enter your address to confirm.
Comcast cable internet; check availability by address.
Charter's cable internet serves parts of Gwinnett; Dacula and Peachtree Corners list it among their providers.
Most of the county is served by Gwinnett County Public Schools, Georgia's largest district. Inside the Buford city school zone, students attend Buford City Schools instead.
Enter an address to see the zoned elementary, middle and high schools.
Register online and upload a birth record, parent ID and two proofs of residency. Kindergartners must turn 5 by September 1.
Separate city district; you'll need proof you live in the Buford City Schools zone. Out-of-district students attend only by acceptance and tuition.
Lists the residency documents and birth records needed to enroll.
Gwinnett Planning & Development handles zoning and permits for unincorporated areas only. Each city, including the new City of Mulberry, runs its own zoning, permits and code enforcement.
Handles zoning, rezoning and building permits through the online ZIP portal. Watch for scam emails asking for wire transfers on zoning cases.
Report property maintenance or zoning violations through GwinnettZIP.com or the hotline. Officers enforce county ordinances only, not HOA covenants.
Since Jan. 1, 2025, Mulberry has handled its own planning, zoning, permits and code enforcement (court challenges are pending). Gwinnett still provides police, fire and parks there.
Handles city zoning, building permits and code enforcement inside Lawrenceville.
Posts the 2026 rezoning and variance hearing schedules and the city zoning map.
City permits and zoning on the 2nd floor of City Hall, 8am-4:30pm weekdays.
City zoning, permits and code enforcement, on the 2nd floor of City Hall.
City zoning and permits, 8am-5pm weekdays; email planning@cityofsugarhill.com.
Call 911 for emergencies. Gwinnett County Police cover unincorporated areas and many cities, while Lawrenceville, Duluth, Snellville, Suwanee and several other cities have their own departments.
Non-emergency reports, including street parking complaints. Six precincts are listed on the page.
Runs the jail, serves warrants and civil papers, and keeps the sex offender registry.
Countywide fire and EMS. For non-emergency fire or medical help, call 770.513.5700.
Outdoor burning is banned May 1-Sept. 30. Check the daily burn status before burning yard debris the rest of the year.
City police; the lobby is open 8am-5pm weekdays.
Non-emergency line; an officer can meet you anywhere inside city limits.
City police non-emergency line.
City police non-emergency and office line.
Sheriff's searchable registry with offender addresses and photos. Email GCSOSexOffenderUnit@GwinnettCounty.com.
Statewide registry search.
Update your license and car tags soon after you move. Gwinnett wants your Gwinnett address on your license and vehicles before it approves a homestead exemption.
Five tag offices: Lawrenceville, Norcross, North Gwinnett (Buford), Peachtree Corners and Snellville. Open 8:30am-5pm weekdays; book through Waitwhile, and use the 24-hour renewal kiosks at three sites.
Driver's licenses and out-of-state transfers; closed Sundays and Mondays. Fill out the online license form before you go.
Register or update your address; open 8am-5pm weekdays.
Check your registration, precinct and sample ballot.
Free card for Gwinnett residents; pre-register online, then verify at any branch with ID and proof of address.
Parks, aquatic centers, camps and classes; register online.
County shelter for adoptions and lost pets. Owner surrenders are by appointment only.
Local buses (some run to MARTA stations), microtransit zones and paratransit. No Sunday service.
Free lawn, garden and pest advice, plus soil testing.
Phone directory for every county department at the Justice & Administration Center.
Gwinnett has about 24,000 acres of floodplain, and county rules bar new construction in it. Check FEMA maps and the county portal before you buy near a creek.
Official flood maps; search an address to see its flood zone.
County floodplain site with maps, flood safety and insurance information.
Homes on floodplain lots must sit 3 feet above the base flood elevation. Ask P&D whether an elevation certificate is on file for your home.
The stormwater fee on your tax bill is based on roof and pavement area, not value; credits can cut it up to 40%. Most cities run their own stormwater programs.
Learn about flood insurance and find an agent; standard homeowners policies don't cover flooding.
Use our under-contract checklist, find trusted local pros, or ask your agent anything.