Imposition of regulatory fees by counties and municipalities on businesses and practitioners of professions and occupations; classification based on location within or without corporate limits prohibited.

(a) Except as to those persons excluded by Code Section 43-12-1, the governing authority of each county is authorized but not required to provide by local ordinance or resolution for the imposition and collection of regulatory fees on businesses and practitioners of professions and occupations doing business in the unincorporated part of the county and to provide for the punishment of violation of such a local ordinance or resolution. Classifying businesses and practitioners of professions and occupations according to whether such businesses and practitioners have a location within the unincorporated part of the county and imposing and collecting differential regulatory fees on the basis of such a classification is prohibited. This article supersedes any provision of local law authorizing such regulatory fees.

(b) Except as to those persons excluded by Code Section 43-12-1, the governing authority of each municipal corporation is authorized but not required to provide by local ordinance or resolution for the imposition and collection of regulatory fees on businesses and practitioners of professions and occupations doing business within the corporate limits and to provide for the punishment of violation of such a local ordinance or resolution. Classifying businesses and practitioners of professions and occupations according to whether such businesses and practitioners have a location within the corporate limits and imposing and collecting differential regulatory fees on the basis of such a classification is prohibited. This article supersedes any provision of local law or city charter authorizing such fees. History. Code 1981, § 48-13-8, enacted by Ga. L. 1993, p. 1292, § 7; Ga. L. 1995, p. 419, § 1; Ga. L. 1996, p. 1268, § 2. Editor’s notes. Ga. L. 1993, p. 1292, § 7, effective January 1, 1995, renumbered former Code Section 48-13-8 as present Code Section 48-13-19.