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AI Laws in Georgia
As of 2026-08-12, AI Laws USA tracks 60 AI rules in Georgia: 12 state-level rules and 48 county or city rules. Federal AI protections apply statewide on top of these — see the federal page. Each entry links to its official source.
Georgia state-level AI rules (12)
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Enacted (not yet in effect)
Georgia SB 544 (health insurer AI)
Georgia · Effective 2027-01-01 · Ga. SB 544 (2026), signed May 5, 2026, eff. Jan. 1, 2027
Georgia's SB 544, signed May 5, 2026 and effective January 1, 2027, lets health insurers use AI in the prior-authorization process to automate tasks and assist decision-making, but bars them from issuing an adverse determination (a denial) without the review and approval of a licensed health care provider. In short: AI can help, but a licensed human has to sign off before your care is denied.
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Enacted (not yet in effect)
SB 540 (GA Chatbot Safety)
Georgia · Effective 2027-07-01 · Ga. SB 540 (2025-2026 Reg. Sess.), signed May 15, 2026; effective July 1, 2027
Georgia — the first Republican-led state to do so — enacted a chatbot safety law. Operators must tell users they're talking to AI, verify ages, give parents controls, and follow crisis protocols (like referring to the 988 lifeline) when users express suicidal thoughts. Chatbots talking to minors can't claim to be sentient, produce sexual content, simulate romance, encourage secrets from adults, or fake distress when a child ends the chat. No carve-out for chatbots inside big platforms. Effective July 1, 2027.
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Enacted (not yet in effect)
SB 444 (GA AI Insurance Review)
Georgia · Effective 2027-01-01 · Ga. SB 444 (2026), sponsored by Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick
Health insurers in Georgia can't let AI alone decide your coverage. Decisions about insurance coverage for healthcare services cannot be based solely on AI systems or software tools — a qualified human reviewer must be part of every coverage determination, especially before denying treatment. Effective January 1, 2027.
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In effect
Generative AI Responsible Use (SS-25-001)
Georgia · Effective 2025-07-01 · Generative AI Responsible Use (SS-25-001)
The Georgia Technology Authority's enterprise standard requires executive-branch agencies to obtain GTA approval before procuring or using generative AI, keep humans in the loop reviewing GenAI output, disclose GenAI use, bar entry of PII/PHI without approval, maintain a GenAI inventory, and report incidents within 48 hours.
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In effect
Walters v. OpenAI
GA · Effective 2025-05-19 · Walters v. OpenAI, L.L.C., No. 23-A-04860-2 (Gwinnett Cty. Super. Ct., Ga.)
Georgia radio host Mark Walters sued OpenAI after ChatGPT fabricated a story that he had embezzled from a gun-rights nonprofit. In May 2025, Judge Tracie Cason granted summary judgment to OpenAI, holding that no reasonable reader would treat ChatGPT output as a statement of fact and that OpenAI's disclaimers about hallucinations defeated 'actual malice.' The first U.S. AI defamation case to reach a merits ruling.
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In effect
Board of Regents Policy 6.28, Use of Artificial Intelligence
University System of Georgia (USG) · Effective 2025-04-16 · Board of Regents Policy 6.28, Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Academic Contexts
The USG Board of Regents adopted a policy requiring all 26 institutions to establish ethical, responsible, and secure AI-use policies integrated into their academic-integrity codes.
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In effect
Rule Establishing Special Contract Terms for Large-Load Cust
Georgia Public Service Commission (Georgia Power) · Effective 2025-01-23 · Rule Establishing Special Contract Terms for Large-Load Customers Over 100 MW
The Georgia PSC unanimously approved a rule allowing Georgia Power to bill new customers using more than 100 MW under special terms, requiring them to cover transmission and distribution construction costs, permitting contracts up to 15 years, and mandating PSC review of each large-load contract.
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In effect
GA SB 466 (no 'it's AI' defense for CSAM)
Georgia · Effective 2024-07-01 · Ga. SB 466 (2024); O.C.G.A. Sec. 16-12-100
Georgia's child sexual exploitation law was amended so that a defendant cannot escape liability by arguing the illegal imagery was artificially generated, adapted, or modified rather than a photograph of an actual child. If the material was created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaged in sexually explicit conduct, that is no defense to prosecution. This closes a potential loophole for AI-generated or computer-edited child sexual abuse material.
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In effect
GA Synthetic NCII Transmission Law
Georgia · Effective 2022-05-02 · O.C.G.A. Sec. 16-11-90
Georgia makes it a crime to electronically send or post a nude or sexually explicit image of an identifiable adult without that person's consent when the purpose is to harass or cause financial harm. The statute expressly reaches a 'falsely created' video or still image, meaning synthetic or deepfake depictions are treated the same as real photographs. Posting such material to certain explicit websites is punished more harshly than other electronic transmission.
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In effect
GA SB 219 (2017 AV statute)
Georgia · Effective 2017-07-01 · 2017 Ga. Laws Act 245
Georgia legalized fully driverless autonomous vehicles statewide, required AVs to be registered, insured ($250,000 minimum for fully autonomous vehicles), and capable of complying with traffic laws. The statute preempts local AV-specific ordinances.
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Proposed / pending
SB436
GA · GA SB436 (2025-2026 Regular Session)
A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 80 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions applicable to counties, municipal corporations, and other governmental entities, so as to prohibit local governments and political subdivisions from entering into nondisclosure agreements regarding electricity usage or water usage of any entity; to amend Code Section 48-8-3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to exemptions from sales and use tax, so as to suspend the issuance of new certificates of exemption for certain high-technology data cent
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Vetoed
GA Data Center Tax Break Fight
Georgia · Ga. HB 1192 (2024) (vetoed); O.C.G.A. § 48-8-3(68.1) (exemption in effect)
Georgia lawmakers voted in 2024 to pause new data center sales tax exemptions for two years, but Governor Kemp vetoed the bill, keeping the tax break in place. The fight resumed in the 2026 session with bills to sunset or repeal the exemption, one of which passed the Senate.
County and city AI rules in Georgia (48)
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In effect
Troup County GA Data Center Ordinance
Troup County, GA · Effective 2026-05-08 · Troup County, Ga., data-center zoning text amendment (adopted May 8, 2026, unanimous)
On May 8, 2026, the Troup County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt a data-center zoning ordinance for unincorporated Troup County and lifted its earlier moratorium. All data centers must obtain a special-use permit; average and hyperscale data centers are limited to heavy-industrial zoning, while small data centers (5,000 sq ft or smaller) may locate in light- or heavy-industrial zones. The 17-page ordinance requires a 1,500-foot setback, Tier 4 diesel backup generators (rather than Tier 2) to cut noise and emissions, connection to public sewer, solar-ready roof structures, and post-operation low- and high-frequency noise studies.
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In effect
Athens-Clarke County GA Data Center Regulations
Athens-Clarke County, GA · Effective 2026-04-07 · Moratorium adopted 2025-12-02; extended 2026-03-10; lifted and replaced by ordinance unanimously 2026-04-07
On December 2, 2025, the Athens-Clarke County Commission adopted a temporary moratorium on new data centers (running through the first Tuesday in March 2026), extended in March 2026 for an additional three months. On April 7, 2026, the Commission voted unanimously to lift the moratorium and replace it with a set of data-center regulations. Athens-Clarke is a consolidated city-county government in Georgia.
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In effect
Fayetteville GA Data Center Prohibition
Fayetteville, GA · Effective 2026-03-05 · City of Fayetteville, Ga., Ord. 26-0-12 (eff. Mar. 5, 2026)
After community backlash over the existing 6.2-million-square-foot QTS data center campus and its water use, Fayetteville passed a 90-day moratorium in January 2026, then adopted Ordinance 26-0-12 on March 5, 2026, which prohibits new data centers in every city zoning district. The city's official FAQ confirms: new data centers are prohibited citywide.
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Expired
Clayton County GA Resolution 2025-193
Clayton County, GA · Effective 2025-09-09 · Resolution 2025-193 (initial moratorium, unanimous, through 2025-12-31)
Clayton County Resolution 2025-193, adopted unanimously, placed a moratorium on the acceptance of applications for special land use permits, rezonings, land disturbance permits, building permits, licenses, and certificates of occupancy for new and expanding data centers in unincorporated Clayton County through December 31, 2025. On December 16, 2025, the Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to extend the moratorium up to six months — through June 29, 2026 — pending revision of the county's zoning ordinance. Vice Chair Alaina Reaves was the lead sponsor.
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In effect
Atlanta Beltline/MARTA Data Center Ban
Atlanta, GA · City of Atlanta Ords. 24-O-1218 & 24-O-1222 (2024); June 2025 SUP ordinance
On September 3, 2024 the Atlanta City Council banned new data centers within the Beltline Overlay District and within a half mile of high-capacity MARTA transit stops, to reserve that land for housing and mixed-use development. In June 2025 the council went further, requiring special-use permits for new data centers citywide and banning them in several additional neighborhoods.
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In effect
Paulding County GA data center moratorium through January 1, 2027
Paulding County, GA · Effective 2026-07-28 · Paulding County, GA Board of Commissioners, unanimous data center moratorium through January 1, 2027 (July 28, 2026)
The Paulding County, Georgia Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on July 28, 2026 to impose a moratorium on new data center applications, zoning requests, and civil plan reviews through January 1, 2027. The unanimous decision followed months of resident protests over proposed data centers in residential-adjacent areas. Local officials will use the temporary freeze to overhaul the county's land-use codes and evaluate safety guidelines for large-scale technology facilities. Paulding County is in the northwest Atlanta metropolitan area and had seen multiple data center proposals prompting community concern.
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In effect
Toccoa GA data center moratorium (2026)
Toccoa, GA · Effective 2026-07-27 · City of Toccoa, Ga. — City Commission, unanimous vote, 2026-07-27
The Toccoa City Commission unanimously approved a data center moratorium at its meeting Monday, July 27, 2026, running through January 11, 2027, to give the city more time to research data centers' size, lighting, traffic, noise, and water-consumption impacts before adopting permanent rules. Neither the city nor surrounding Stephens County has received any data center applications yet.
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In effect
Chamblee GA data center moratorium (2026)
Chamblee, GA · Effective 2026-07-21 · City of Chamblee, Ga. resolution (adopted 2026-07-21); number blank in the packet copy
The Mayor and Council adopted a resolution imposing a complete suspension on the City's acceptance of any applications relating to the establishment of new data centers. The suspension expressly covers applications for special land use permits, rezonings, land disturbance permits, building permits, business licenses, and certificates of occupancy. The resolution defines a data center as a physical room, building or facility housing infrastructure for building, running, delivering or transmitting applications and services, or for storing and managing associated data. The City Manager must notify staff, and during the period the Mayor and Council with staff will research data center impacts and consider Code revisions.
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In effect
Cherokee County GA data center moratorium (30-day; 180-day extension hearing Aug 18)
Cherokee County, GA · Effective 2026-07-21 · Cherokee County, GA Board of Commissioners, unanimous 30-day data center moratorium (July 21, 2026); 180-day extension public hearing August 18, 2026
The Cherokee County, Georgia Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on July 21, 2026 to impose an initial 30-day moratorium on new data center applications, zoning requests, and development permits in unincorporated county areas. A public hearing is scheduled for August 18, 2026 to consider a 180-day extension, which would extend the moratorium through approximately February 2027. Cherokee County Community Development Director Brantley Day said the county has no data center applications currently under review and wants staff time to develop appropriate regulations before any arrive. Cherokee County is in the north Atlanta metro area and had seen multiple data center proposals across the region.
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In effect
Early County GA data center ordinance (eff. July 13, 2026)
Early County, GA · Effective 2026-07-13 · Early County, GA Board of Commissioners data center ordinance, adopted July 13, 2026
Early County, Georgia adopted a data center ordinance on July 13, 2026 in response to resident concerns. The ordinance requires data centers to sit at least 1,000 feet from neighboring uses, meet noise standards, and use water-efficient cooling systems.
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In effect
Douglas County GA data center rezoning denial (July 8, 2026)
Douglas County, GA · Effective 2026-07-08 · Douglas County, GA Board of Commissioners rezoning denial (4-1), July 8, 2026, 4.4M sq ft data center project
Douglas County, Georgia commissioners voted 4-1 on July 8, 2026 to reject a rezoning that would have allowed a 4.4 million-square-foot data center campus. It was the county's second rejection of a major data center project in seven months, signaling sustained resistance to large-scale data center development in the metro-Atlanta county.
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In effect
Terrell County GA 6-month data center moratorium
Terrell County, GA · Effective 2026-07-07 · Terrell County, Ga., Board of Commissioners six-month data center moratorium (adopted ~July 7, 2026, unanimous)
Terrell County, Georgia's Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt a six-month moratorium on new data center development, following the lead of neighboring Lee County. The pause gives county officials time to develop zoning regulations governing where data centers may locate, and how they must operate. Terrell County is in Southwest Georgia, near Albany in the Albany metropolitan area. The moratorium can be extended if additional time is needed to complete a permanent ordinance.
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In effect
Coweta County GA second 180-day data center moratorium
Coweta County, GA · Effective 2026-06-16 · Coweta County, GA Board of Commissioners, unanimous second 180-day data center moratorium (June 16, 2026)
The Coweta County, Georgia Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on June 16, 2026 to impose a second 180-day moratorium on new data center applications and proposals. The moratorium runs through approximately December 13, 2026 and provides the county additional time to evaluate whether to further revise its data center regulations. Coweta County had adopted a first 180-day moratorium in May 2025, then a permanent UDO amendment restricting data centers to light-industrial and industrial zones in December 2025; the June 2026 moratorium follows continuing community pressure for stronger protections. County seat is Newnan, GA.
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In effect
Garden City GA 6-month data center moratorium
Garden City, GA · Effective 2026-06-15 · Garden City, GA City Council, unanimous 6-month data center moratorium (June 15, 2026)
The Garden City, Georgia City Council voted unanimously on June 15, 2026 to impose a 6-month moratorium on data center development covering all zoning districts within the city. The moratorium runs through approximately December 15, 2026, pausing all new data center applications, permits, and zoning requests. Garden City is a small industrial and logistics municipality in Chatham County adjacent to Savannah, and the action followed similar moratoriums by other coastal Georgia communities reacting to increased data center development interest in the Savannah metro area.
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In effect
Floyd County GA 80-Day Data Center Moratorium
Floyd County, GA · Effective 2026-06-10 · 80-day moratorium adopted unanimously 2026-06-10 by Floyd County Commission
On June 10, 2026, the Floyd County Commission unanimously approved an 80-day moratorium on permits for new and expanded data centers, effective immediately. Previously-approved permits may proceed. The moratorium preserves time for a proposed ordinance that will require each future project to be considered by the commission after public hearing; the Planning Commission is expected to recommend the substantive ordinance by late August 2026.
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In effect
DeKalb County GA data-center moratorium (through Mar 30, 2027)
DeKalb County, Georgia · Effective 2026-06-09 · DeKalb County (GA) data-center moratorium extension through March 30, 2027 (adopted July 7, 2026)
DeKalb County, Georgia's moratorium on new data centers has been extended repeatedly. Most recently, on July 7, 2026, commissioners voted to extend the freeze through March 30, 2027 — the longest extension yet. The July extension followed a surprise June 23, 2026 commission vote to reject a set of proposed permanent data-center regulations from the Planning & Sustainability Department. That rejection reset the regulatory process, requiring a new attempt at permanent rules. The new extension directs the county CEO to coordinate departments (Public Safety, Transportation, Watershed Management, Public Health) to identify impacts on their operations. Originally enacted July 2025, extended December 2025, June 9, 2026, and again July 7, 2026.
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In effect
DeKalb County GA Data Center Moratorium (latest extension to Sept 30, 2026)
DeKalb County, GA · Effective 2026-06-09 · Item 2025-1694 extension; further 100-day extension 2026-06-09 (2026-06-09)
Blocks issuance of new data center licenses/permits countywide pending Chapter 27 text amendment establishing definitions and standards (industrial-only, special land use permit).
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In effect
Augusta GA data center moratorium (extended through ~Sept 19, 2026)
Augusta, GA · Effective 2026-06-02 · Augusta-Richmond County Commission vote (June 2, 2026; extended July 21, 2026), data center moratorium through ~September 19, 2026
The Augusta Commission voted June 2, 2026 to impose a 49-day moratorium on new data center applications, then extended it an additional 60 days on July 21, 2026, pushing the effective moratorium through approximately September 19, 2026. The extension gives commissioners time to complete community outreach (including a planned Atlanta-area data center tour and three community meetings) before adopting a permanent data center ordinance. A draft permanent ordinance would restrict data centers to heavy industrial zoning, require special exceptions with public hearings, and mandate 500-foot buffers from residential and agricultural land. The QTS campus on Gordon Highway remains exempt from the moratorium as construction was already underway when the original moratorium passed.
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In effect
Rockdale County GA Data Center & BESS Moratorium (extended through Sept 8, 2026)
Rockdale County, GA · Effective 2026-03-15 · BOC resolution (extension) (2026-03-15)
Moratorium on acceptance, processing, and approval of applications for establishment/expansion of data centers and battery energy storage systems pending zoning and infrastructure review.
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In effect
City of Fayetteville GA Ordinance 26-O-12
Fayetteville, GA · Effective 2026-03-05 · Ord. 26-O-12 (2026-03-05)
Prohibits new data centers in every City of Fayetteville zoning district — one of the first U.S. permanent (non-moratorium) data center prohibitions.
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In effect
Carroll County GA Data Center Moratorium
Carroll County, GA · Effective 2026-03-03 · Carroll County, Ga., Bd. of Comm'rs 100-day data center/BESS moratorium (adopted Mar. 3, 2026, 7-0; extended 7-0 June 2, 2026)
On March 3, 2026, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted 7-0 to adopt a 100-day moratorium on permits for data centers, battery energy storage systems, and other new technology facilities in unincorporated Carroll County. On June 2, 2026 the board voted 7-0 to extend it for another 100 days (running to about Sept. 10, 2026). The pause gives county staff time to study how these facilities affect the county's zoning and ordinances. It applies only to unincorporated areas and does not affect the county's municipalities.
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In effect
Hall County GA 180-day data center moratorium
Hall County, GA · Effective 2026-02-26 · Hall County, GA Board of Commissioners data center moratorium (adopted unanimously 4-0, February 26, 2026)
The Hall County, Georgia Board of Commissioners voted unanimously 4-0 on February 26, 2026 to impose a 180-day moratorium on data centers, high-density residential developments, and detention centers in unincorporated Hall County. The moratorium expires approximately August 25, 2026, and is extendable per Chairman David Gibbs. The county has been directing its planning department to draft a permanent Data Center Ordinance to govern siting, infrastructure, and other requirements after the moratorium ends. Hall County's county seat is Gainesville, Georgia.
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In effect
Cobb County GA Temporary Data Center Moratorium (up to 180 days)
Cobb County, GA · Effective 2026-02-25 · Resolution Feb 2026 (2026-02-25) (2026-02-25)
Pauses new data center applications in unincorporated Cobb while staff reviews development regs; does not apply inside Marietta city limits.
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In effect
Henry County GA
Henry County, GA · Effective 2026-02-18 · BoC UDC amendment 2026-02-18 (2026-02-18)
Data centers allowed in M-1 (light manufacturing) and M-2 (heavy manufacturing) zones with a conditional use permit; 1,000-ft setback from any existing residential building, 200-ft undisturbed landscape buffer around the property, 500-ft setback from non-industrial zoning, noise compatibility standards, water-use disclosure, and additional design and screening requirements.
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In effect
City of Covington GA 180-Day Data Center Moratorium
Covington, GA · Effective 2026-01-20 · Covington Ord. (Jan 2026) (2026-01-20)
Halts new data center applications; council moving to require Special Use Permit in M1/M2 districts plus supplemental standards. Expires ~July 19, 2026; second unanimous vote initiated SUP ordinance amendment process.
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In effect
Bartow County GA Data Center Ordinance (UDO Amendment)
Bartow County, GA · Effective 2026-01-07 · UDO amendment Jan 2026 (2026-01-07)
Allows data centers with 200-ft buffer from property boundary and noise compatibility standards.
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In effect
DeKalb County GA Data Center Moratorium
DeKalb County, GA · Effective 2025-12-16 · Moratorium adopted 2025-12-16; extended to 2026-09-30 by Board of Commissioners vote 2026-06-09 (5-2)
DeKalb County's Board of Commissioners has kept a moratorium on new data centers in place through a series of extensions. It blocks new licenses and permits for data centers while the county works on permanent zoning rules. UPDATE (2026 sweep): on June 9, 2026 the Commission voted 5-2 to extend the moratorium again, to September 30, 2026; on June 23 it deferred the companion Chapter 27 zoning text amendment to August 11, and on June 26 voted 7-0 to reject a proposed data-center regulations package — so the moratorium remains in effect through Sept 30 while permanent rules stay unresolved. The draft Chapter 27 amendment would restrict data centers to industrial areas and add a 500-ft buffer from county parks and trails in M and M-2 districts.
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In effect
Coweta County GA Data Center Ordinance (UDO Amendment)
Coweta County, GA · Effective 2025-12-16 · UDO amendment Dec 2025 (2025-12-16)
Permits data centers only in light-industrial and industrial districts; imposes 300-ft buffer, noise, lighting, traffic, and utility capacity standards.
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Expired
Monroe County GA Data Center Moratorium
Monroe County, GA · Effective 2025-12-01 · Moratorium adopted December 2025 with built-in expiration at first March 2026 commission meeting (set as 2026-03-04 / first Tuesday)
In December 2025, the Monroe County (GA) Board of Commissioners passed a moratorium on new data-center applications. The moratorium was set to lapse at the first commission meeting in March 2026, at which point a new zoning ordinance was to be voted on; the action followed months of public debate over hyperscale data-center proposals in the county.
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Expired
Social Circle GA 90-Day Data Center Moratorium (extended; lifted upon code adopt
Social Circle, GA · Effective 2025-09-16 · Council Ord. (Sept 2025, extended Dec 2025) (2025-09-16)
Moratorium on new data center applications; replaced by amended city code on data centers and special-use permitting in January 2026.
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In effect
Forsyth County GA Data Center Regulations (UDC Amendment)
Forsyth County, GA · Effective 2025-09-15 · UDC amendment, Version 131 (November 20, 2025) (2025-09-15)
Prohibits use of county water system for data center cooling; siting guardrails described as effectively eliminating data center / crypto operations.
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Expired
Douglas County GA 90-Day Data Center Moratorium (extended Aug 2025)
Douglas County, GA · Effective 2025-03-15 · BOC resolution (Mar 2025, extended Aug 2025) (2025-03-15)
Halts land-use map amendments, rezonings, SUPs, and variances for data-processing/web-hosting facilities or campuses larger than 50,000 sq ft.
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Expired
Newton County GA Data Center Moratorium (extended through 2025-10-07)
Newton County, GA · Effective 2025-02-17 · BOC resolution (Feb 2025; extended Apr 2025) (2025-02-17)
Moratorium on acceptance/processing of data center applications, rezonings, and SUPs in unincorporated Newton County while a modified UDO is drafted.
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In effect
Lee County GA Data Center Moratorium
Lee County, GA · Lee County, Ga., data-center moratorium; extension to Dec. 31, 2026 considered (WALB, May 27, 2026)
Lee County, Georgia has a moratorium on data-center development that was set to expire in July 2026. At their May 26, 2026 meeting, county commissioners discussed extending the freeze through the end of 2026 to give leaders time to finish a data-center ordinance — described as 'a protection, not an invitation' — that would create a new zoning district specifically for data centers. Officials said there were no pending data-center applications at the time.
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In effect
Albany GA 12-month data center moratorium
Albany, GA · Effective 2026-07-28 · Albany, GA City Commission data center moratorium (adopted unanimously July 28, 2026)
Albany, Georgia's City Commission voted unanimously on July 28, 2026 to impose a 12-month moratorium on all new data center development, with an option to extend for an additional 6 months. Commissioners directed the Albany-Dougherty Planning Commission to draft permanent data-center siting ordinances and approved hiring an outside consultant to research best practices in other jurisdictions. The moratorium was driven by public concern over the impact of large data centers on the local Floridian Aquifer water system.
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In effect
Dougherty County GA 45-day data center moratorium
Dougherty County, GA · Effective 2026-07-20 · Dougherty County, GA Board of Commissioners 45-day data center moratorium (adopted July 20, 2026)
The Dougherty County, Georgia Board of Commissioners approved a 45-day moratorium on July 20, 2026 halting acceptance and approval of zoning applications for data center development in unincorporated Dougherty County (the county surrounding Albany). The short-term pause gives the county planning commission time to study impacts and draft data-center land-use regulations. The county action is distinct from but related to Albany City's separate 12-month moratorium adopted one week later.
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In effect
Walker County GA 30-day data center moratorium
Walker County, GA · Effective 2026-07-10 · Walker County, GA Commission 30-day data center moratorium (adopted July 10, 2026)
Walker County, Georgia passed a 30-day data center moratorium on July 10, 2026 — a short-term emergency pause in the Northwest Georgia county that borders Hamilton County, Tennessee. A 180-day extension through approximately February 2027 is expected to be voted on at the August 6, 2026 regular commission meeting. Walker County joins Carroll, Lee, and Troup Counties in Georgia's growing cluster of local data center restrictions.
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In effect
Milton GA 30-day data-center moratorium (June 2026)
Milton, Georgia · Effective 2026-06-18 · Milton (GA) City Council unanimous resolution — 30-day data-center moratorium (June 18, 2026)
The Milton, Georgia City Council voted unanimously on June 18, 2026 to impose a 30-day moratorium on all data center activity in the city — covering new applications, permits, rezoning requests, business licenses, and certificates of occupancy — while the city reviews its land-use policies for such facilities. Milton is an affluent north Fulton County suburb in the Atlanta metro area.
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In effect
Rockdale County data-center + BESS moratorium extended through Sept 8
Rockdale County, Georgia · Effective 2026-05-13 · Rockdale County (GA) Res 2026-12 (May 13, 2026)
Extends the existing moratorium on the acceptance, processing, and approval of applications related to the establishment or expansion of data centers and battery energy storage systems (BESS) through September 8, 2026. Amends Resolution 2026-01 (initial 180-day moratorium enacted March 2026 covering high-water-use facilities).
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In effect
Glynn County GA Data Center Zoning Ordinance
Glynn County, GA · Effective 2026-04-15 · Glynn County Commission adopted data-center zoning ordinance April 2026 over Planning Commission objection
In April 2026, the Glynn County Commission voted to adopt new zoning ordinances permitting data centers, declining the Islands and Mainland Planning Commissions' unanimous joint recommendation to pause for a 120-day moratorium. The adopted ordinance includes performance metrics to limit potable water consumption by data centers but is otherwise viewed by local environmental groups as offering weak protections.
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In effect
Newton County data-center application moratorium
Newton County, Georgia · Effective 2026-02-17 · Newton County (GA) data-center moratorium (February 2026)
Moratorium on the acceptance of applications, requests, or submissions proposing the development of data centers in Newton County. Initial moratorium was 30 days; Newton County's ordinance specifies that data centers can only exist in the Stanton Springs overlay. Concerns include developers seeking annexation into incorporated areas (Covington, Social Circle, Porterdale).
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In effect
Cherokee County GA School District
Canton, GA · Effective 2025-07-24 · Cherokee County GA School District — AI Use Procedure (2025-07-24)
Procedure approved with Board Policy IFBG update: enterprise AI authorized for staff and grades 9-12, no AI use for early-grade summative assessment, AI tools must be FERPA/COPPA compliant, AI use must be cited in graded work.
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In effect
Forsyth County GA Schools
Cumming, GA · Effective 2024-09-12 · Forsyth County GA Schools — Generative AI Use Guidelines (Forsyth.AI initiative) (2024-09-12)
District 'Forsyth.AI' initiative pairs adopted use guidelines with a custom secure AI portal for staff and grades 6-12; bars PII entry into external models, requires teacher verification of AI output, and prohibits AI use to make student-discipline or special-education decisions.
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In effect
Gwinnett County GA Public Schools
Lawrenceville, GA · Effective 2024-07-15 · Gwinnett County GA Public Schools — Guidance for Human-Centered AI Use (2024-07-15)
Requires critical review of AI-generated content and humans in the loop; prohibits privacy-compromising uses. Paired with the GCPS AI-Ready Framework developed with Google, Microsoft, and higher-ed partners.
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In effect
First U.S. Biometric Terminal (Maynard H. Jackson Internatio
City of Atlanta / Delta / CBP (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Terminal F) · Effective 2018-12-01 · First U.S. Biometric Terminal (Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal)
Delta, CBP, TSA and Hartsfield-Jackson opened the first end-to-end biometric terminal in the U.S., using facial recognition for check-in, bag drop, TSA screening, boarding, and CBP arrival.
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In effect
Cherokee County GA 30-day data center moratorium (2026)
Cherokee County, GA · Cherokee County, Ga. Board of Commissioners, 2026-07-21 agenda item 6.3
The Cherokee County, Georgia Board of Commissioners took up a thirty-day moratorium on data centers at its regular meeting on 2026-07-21, added to the agenda by amendment as item 6.3. The stated purpose is to give Community Development Agency staff and the legal department time to draft an ordinance addressing the data center land use, which the county code does not currently regulate. In a separate agenda item, 6.4, the Board called a public hearing for 2026-08-18 to consider extending the moratorium; county staff have publicly stated they expect to request a 180-day extension at that hearing.
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Status unknown
Atlanta City Council resolution accepting AI Commission recommendations
Atlanta · Atlanta 26-R-3663 (introduced June 1, 2026)
Resolution accepting the final report and 16 recommendations of the Atlanta AI Commission. Recommendations include equity impact assessments in AI procurement, role-specific staff training, cybersecurity standards for AI vendors, a public registry of all AI systems in use across City departments, and creation of a permanent AI Advisory Board co-chaired by the City's Chief Information Officer and Senior Technology Advisor. Directs the Mayor's office to examine administrative implementation steps while Council considers legislative follow-up.
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Proposed / pending
DeKalb County Data Center Regulations (pending)
DeKalb County, GA · DeKalb County, Ga., proposed data center regulations + moratorium extension (June 2026)
DeKalb County, Georgia has frozen new data center applications while it writes permanent zoning rules for the industry. On June 9, 2026, commissioners voted 5-2 to extend the freeze through September 30, 2026, giving leaders ~100 more days to review proposed rules on noise, location, design, infrastructure strain, and environmental impact. Residents have raised health, noise, and utility-cost concerns at hearings.
Georgia city guides
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