Tree-lined city sidewalk under tall pines beside a modern office building, Peachtree Corners Business License

Peachtree Corners Business License: BS&A Portal, Zoning Use Approval and Certificate of Occupancy First

If you plan to sell, provide services or work out of a space in Peachtree Corners, you need a local occupation tax certificate, which most people call a business license. Peachtree Corners is a city in Gwinnett County, so the city issues that certificate, not the county. The order matters. The city expects you to secure zoning first, then a fire certificate of occupancy if your space requires one, and only then apply for the certificate itself. This guide walks through that sequence and the checks that come before it.

Who issues the license, and what Georgia does not issue

Georgia has no general state business license. The Secretary of State issues none, and registering for sales tax with the Department of Revenue is not a business license either. At the state level, a business usually does three things:

  1. Registers its entity with the Secretary of State's Corporations Division. Articles of Organization (LLC) or Articles of Incorporation (corporation) cost $110 total, which is the $100 fee plus a $10 service charge. You can file online through eCorp or on paper. Online filings take about 7 to 10 business days and paper filings about 15 business days. Expedited review costs $120 (2 business days), $275 (same day if received by noon) or $1,200 (one hour on business days).
  2. Registers with the Georgia Department of Revenue through the Georgia Tax Center if it sells taxable goods or has employees. Sales tax registration is free. Georgia issues no separate resale permit; resale purchases use Form ST-5, the certificate of exemption.
  3. Adds the licenses and permits that its activity requires, including occupational licenses from state boards for regulated trades.

Workers' compensation coverage is required at three or more workers, including part-time workers.

The local license is the occupation tax certificate, issued under O.C.G.A. Title 48, chapter 13. Cities issue it for businesses inside city limits, and counties issue it for unincorporated areas. Georgia has 159 counties and about 537 cities and towns, and each sets its own formula, deadlines and prerequisites. More than half of Georgians live outside any city, so for many of them the county is the issuer. A business inside a city pays the city, not the county. Because Peachtree Corners is a city, Gwinnett County does not license it for occupation tax.

Your mailing address does not decide who issues the certificate. The location of the premises does.

Where to apply: the Finance Department and the BS&A portal

The Peachtree Corners Finance Department, at 310 Technology Parkway, issues the Occupational Tax Certificate. Applications go through the city's BS&A online portal, which requires an account. For questions, email [email protected].

Step 1: Zoning Use Approval, before you sign a lease

Zoning Use Approval confirms that your planned use is allowed at your location. It costs $75 and is non-refundable. You submit it through your BS&A portal account. The city strongly recommends getting this approval before you sign a lease, so you do not commit to a space that your intended use cannot legally occupy.

Zoning applies to home-based work too. Do this step even if you plan to operate from a spare room.

Step 2: Fire Certificate of Occupancy for commercial spaces

If your business occupies a commercial space that requires a fire certificate of occupancy, apply through Gwinnett County Fire Plan Review using the county's ZIP portal. You can reach Fire Plan Review at 678-518-4980, extension 2. Ask them directly whether your space needs one. Home-based businesses do not need a fire certificate of occupancy. Your approved certificate becomes part of the Step 3 checklist.

Step 3: Apply for the Occupational Tax Certificate in BS&A

After Steps 1 and 2 are complete, apply for the Occupational Tax Certificate through the BS&A portal. Have these documents ready:

  • Approved Zoning Use Approval
  • Fire certificate of occupancy, if applicable
  • Floor plan, for non-home-based businesses
  • Executed lease or proof of ownership
  • Government-issued photo identification
  • Home Occupation Acknowledgement Form, for home occupations
  • Any state or federal professional license
  • Trade name (DBA) registration documents, if you operate under one
  • Health or Department of Agriculture permit, where applicable
  • IRS 501(c) documentation, for nonprofits

Inspection

Non-home-based businesses must pass a city inspection before the certificate issues. The inspection fee is $100 and non-refundable. Home occupations are exempt from the inspection.

Auto brokers

Auto brokers follow Step 3 only. They must also file a Motor Vehicle Broker Affidavit, which carries a $500 fee, along with a lease and identification.

Affidavits every applicant signs

Every applicant signs the SAVE affidavit under O.C.G.A. 50-36-1. A private employer with more than 10 employees must also file the E-Verify affidavit under O.C.G.A. 36-60-6 to get the local certificate.

What the occupation tax costs, and why $400 is the wrong number

Older guides often say Georgia charges a flat $400 occupation tax per professional under O.C.G.A. 48-13-9(c). That is not accurate. The $400 figure is a ceiling that a locality may set, and it applies only to professions listed in 48-13-9(c), such as lawyers, physicians, dentists, veterinarians, engineers, architects and public accountants. Cosmetologists are not on that list. The election itself is in 48-13-10(g), and whether a flat amount replaces the administrative fee differs by place.

Peachtree Corners sets its rate under a NAICS-based rate schedule that the city publishes, and renewal is annual. The city's rate, administrative fee and renewal date were not confirmed for this guide, so confirm them with the Finance Department before you budget.

Home-based business license

A home-based business gets the same certificate through the same BS&A portal with fewer steps. You still need Zoning Use Approval. You do not need a fire certificate of occupancy or a city inspection. You do need the Home Occupation Acknowledgement Form.

Cottage food

Since July 1, 2025, cottage food producers need no state license under HB 398. Local business licensing and zoning still apply, so the Peachtree Corners steps above still matter.

Alcohol sales

Selling alcohol requires a separate city alcohol beverage license, renewed annually, plus a pouring permit. The pouring permit requires fingerprints and a background check with the Gwinnett County Police Department. Excise tax returns are due by the 20th of the month after the tax is collected. Our alcohol local rules guide covers the details.

Short-term rentals

Gwinnett County's short-term rental license applies to unincorporated areas only. It does not apply in Peachtree Corners, so do not apply for it there.

Keeping your certificate current

Display the certificate where the public can see it. Renew it every year, and confirm the exact renewal date with the Finance Department. Report changes to your name, address, ownership, management company, closure or sale on the city's forms.

State filings to keep alongside the local certificate

The local certificate does not replace state obligations. Your entity must file its annual registration with the Secretary of State every year. Our annual registration guide covers the filing details. Georgia levies no franchise tax on a typical single-member or partnership LLC. Corporations, and LLCs taxed as corporations, owe a net worth tax of $0 to $5,000 depending on net worth.

Georgia's personal and corporate income taxes each use one flat rate: 5.19% for 2025 and 4.99% for 2026. The corporate rate equals the individual rate. The state sales tax rate is 4%, and combined state and local rates vary by county and city. Confirm your combined rate on the Department of Revenue website.

Trade names (DBAs)

If you operate under a name other than your legal entity name, file a trade name registration with the Clerk of Superior Court of the county where the business is chiefly carried on. Trade names are not filed with the Secretary of State. The clerk fee is about $165 plus a newspaper publication charge, since notice runs once a week for two weeks in the county legal organ. Confirm the exact amounts with your county clerk. A name reservation with the Secretary of State costs $35 and lasts 30 days.

Official resources

Disclaimer

This guide is informational, not legal or tax advice. Fees, forms, portals and deadlines change, so confirm each one with the agency before you file. For complex situations, such as multiple owners, a regulated trade, alcohol sales or a multi-location business, talk with a qualified attorney or CPA.

Keep exploring: related Georgia guides