How do I?
Have you ever wondered how you do this or that in Walker County? The following contains a list a frequently asked questions and answers.
ADOPT AN ANIMAL
Fill out this application and if you qualify, someone from the Walker County Animal Shelter will contact you to schedule an appointment..
APPLY FOR EMPLOYMENT
Walker County occasionally has positions open within the county’s various department. A current list of positions is available to review online in our Employment Opportunities page.
CONTACT SOMEONE OR A DEPARTMENT
We have a list of department phone numbers on the FAQ page. If you don’t see what you are looking for, please contact the Commissioner’s office at 706-638-1437 and we will help direct you.
DONATE TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER
Donations of supplies and food are accepted at the Walker County Animal Shelter, as well as Paws Pet Supply in LaFayette, during regular business hours. Please call 706-375-2100 to make an appointment. If you would like to make a monetary donation, please specify that the funds go to the shelter. You can also search the shelter’s Amazon wishlist to order items online and have them shipped to the shelter.
FILE AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST
An open records request should be submitted through our website. Please be as specific as possible detailing the records you are requesting. Let us know if you want to inspect records in person or receive copies of records. The Commissioner’s Office does NOT handle records requests for birth, marriage, divorce, etc. Birth records are held by the Health Department, marriage records by Probate Court and divorce records by the Clerk of Courts. We also do not handle criminal records. That is done by the Sheriff’s Office.
Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 50-18-71, you may be charged administrative and copying fees for the cost to search, retrieve and copy access to the requested documents. This fee represents the hourly rate of the lowest paid full-time employee with the necessary skill and training to respond to my request, with no charge for the first 15 minutes. The charge for hard copies is generally $0.10 per page unless otherwise provided by law.
Our mailing address is 101 South Duke Street, LaFayette, GA 30728. To submit your request via email, click here.
FIND OUT HOW MANY ANIMALS I CAN HAVE ON MY PROPERTY
If your property is zoned A-1, you can have an unlimited number of animals. If you are zoned R-2 or R-3, you can only have one large animal per acre or 12 small animals per acre. Example: You own 37 acres. You can have 37 cows or 444 chickens. If your property is zoned R-1, you are NOT allowed to have any farm animals.
FIND OUT WHAT MY PROPERTY IS ZONED
Call the Assessor’s Office at 706-638-4823 or you can search online at www.walkerassessors.com
FIND OUT THE MILLAGE RATE
If you live in an unincorporated area of Walker County, your millage rate is 5.735. If you live in an incorporated area of Walker County, your millage rate is 7.390. These rates took effect on August 24, 2023. There are several other taxing authorities in the county that have the ability to raise and lower taxes, without receiving prior approval from the county. For example, the millage rate set by the Walker County Board of Education is 14.982.
GET A PERMIT TO BURN
You are allowed to burn brush, leaves and other debris from October 1 to April 30. You can only use cardboard as a starter. Burning household garbage is illegal. Burning dimensional wood, like a 2×4, is also prohibited.
GET A BUILDING PERMIT and WHY DO I NEED ONE
A building permit is required before any work begins on a remodeling project, addition, and for any new construction that is 10ft x 10ft or larger, including the placement of a manufactured home on your property. The scope of the project will determine the way that the fees for the permit are charged. When work has already begun before a permit is issued, all permit and inspection fees are doubled. Call the Planning Office at 706-638-4048 or drop by 122 Highway 95 in Rock Spring to start the permitting process
GET A BUSINESS LICENSE
Licenses are issued by the Planning and Zoning Office in Rock Spring. You can download and fill out the application in advance by visiting our Business License page.
GET A DEMOLITION PERMIT
You do not currently need a permit to demolish property in Walker County.
GET THE LITTER CREW TO CLEAN-UP TRASH ALONG A ROAD
Call the Walker County Codes Enforcement Office at 706-638-4048 or use our iWorQ citizen portal to create a work order.
PUT A MOBILE HOME ON MY PROPERTY
Check the zoning on your property first. If you are zoned R-1 or CBOD, a mobile home is not allowed. If you are zoned R-2, you can place a 16-foot or larger mobile home on your property. If you are zoned R-3 or A-1, you can place any size manufactured home on your land.
PAY MY HOTEL/MOTEL TAX
This tax impacts everyone providing lodging in exchange for money in the unincorporated areas of the county. Monies collected from this tax are used to promote tourism in Walker County. Click here to accessing the filing report.
REGISTER TO VOTE OR CONTACT THE ELECTION COMMISSION
You can register in person at the Walker County Election Commission Office on the bottom floor of the courthouse at 103 South Duke Street. You can also download the registration form online, fill it out and mail it in. For other election related concerns, call 706-638-4349 or visit the Board of Elections online.
REPORT ANIMAL ABUSE OR NEGLECT
Call the Walker County Commissioners Officer for Animal Control at 706-638-1437. We dispatch for Animal Control.
When reporting abuse or neglect, be prepared to give your name, address, phone number and the address where the animal in question is housed. It may be scary to give your name, but by law, the Animal Control Officer cannot respond to anonymous calls. They must have documentation from an eyewitness. The ACO is not able to answer questions in court like “How long has this animal been observed in this condition?” Also, the ACO may have questions or need to verify some information. ACO needs your support to be effective in helping abused and neglected animals.
REPORT A CODE VIOLATION, LIKE JUNK CARS AND GARBAGE PILED IN MY NEIGHBOR’S YARD
Call the Walker County Codes Enforcement Office at 706-638-4048 or use our iWorQ citizen portal to create a work order. You will be asked for your name, phone number, the address of the property in question and a brief description of the issue. If we open a case and investigate, your name and information will not be shared with the owner of the property.
REPORT A NON-EMERGENCY
Call 706-375-7810.
REPORT A ROAD OR DRAINAGE ISSUE
Call the Public Works Department at 706-375-5601 or use the iWorQ citizen request portal.
REPORT A WILD ANIMAL
If you encounter a stray domestic animal that could be a danger to the public, contact Animal Control at 706-375-2100. If you encounter a wild animal, like a raccoon or coyote, consult the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division’s nuisance animal guide. DNR can also put you in contact with a licensed nuisance trapper to remove an animal or provide you with a permit to do this yourself.
A note on feral cats: while they can carry disease, like rabies, they are afraid of humans and will run from you. Feral cats are the same species as domesticated cats. However, since they are not socialized to humans, they are not adoptable and do not belong in our animal shelter.
REQUEST A BIRTH or DEATH CERTIFICATE, MARRIAGE/DIVORCE OR OTHER VITAL RECORD
In Walker County, Birth and Death Records are at Georgia Department of Public Health’s Northwest District in Walker County. Their number is 706-638-5577. They are located at 603 East Villanow Street in LaFayette. Copies are $25 for the first copy and $5 for each additional copy requested on the same day. You need a Picture ID and there are limitations on who vital records are released to. You can download request forms online to speed up the submission process.
Marriage records can be obtained through the Walker County Probate Court office on the bottom floor of the Courthouse, 103 South Duke Street. If you have additional questions, call their office at 706-638-2852.
Divorce records can be obtained through the Walker County Clerk of Courts in the Courthouse, 103 South Duke Street. If you have additional questions, call their office at 706-638-1742.
SEARCH COURT RECORDS
The Office of the Walker County Superior Court Clerk provides a portal to search dockets of civil and criminal cases online at walker.gaclerkofcourt.net
SIGN UP FOR THE COUNTY NEWSLETTER
You can do this two ways. Fill out the registration form online or send an email requesting a free subscription to Joe Legge.
SPEAK AT A BOARD OF COMMISSIONER’S MEETING
Public comment on any topic relevant Walker County is invited for up to five minutes per speaker during the public comment item on the agenda. Please adhere to the rules of decorum.
USE WALKER TRANSIT
Our public transit service is available to take you to work, medical and business appointments, errands or other short trips between the hours of 6:00am and 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. Reservations must be made at least one day prior to your desired trip and before Noon the day before. Call 706-375-0803 to make a reservation and schedule a return trip. Walker Transit costs $4 per destination.