Open A Business

Interested in opening a business in the City of Dacula?
Follow the steps below to open your business.

STEP 1 
Confirm that your business location is within the Dacula city limits. A Dacula mailing address does not ensure the property is within the city limits. Post office boxes can be used for mailing addresses but not business locations. To verify if you are within the city limits, contact City Hall at 770-963-7451. If you are within the city limits, you do not need to get a certificate from Gwinnett County. Once you have verified the desired location is within the city limits, you then need to verify the proper zoning and property use for your proposed business. You must obtain this approval prior to signing any lease agreement.

STEP 2 (for Commercial Properties):

1. Request a Fire Certificate of Occupancy from Gwinnett County. A copy of this certificate must be presented to the City of Dacula in order to complete City inspections.
2. To obtain a Dacula Certificate of Occupancy, complete an application for a Compliance Inspection with the Planning & Development Department. **
   • A copy of the approved certificate must be on file with the City in order to begin processing the occupational tax certificate application. The process for obtaining a certificate of occupancy usually requires about a week. It takes about two business days to process a new occupational tax certificate.
3. Submit an Occupational Tax Certificate Application to daculacityhall@daculaga.gov or in person at City Hall.
   • An Alcohol License Application can be submitted at this time.
   • New Business License Application - complete all forms provided. Print and sign. (Note that some forms require notarization)
   • Massage Parlor Application (for massage parlors only) - complete all forms in addition to the new business license application. Print and sign. (Note: Fingerprints are required)
4. Signage - In order to preserve the aesthetic beauty of the City and protect the safety of our residents, the City has adopted and maintains sign regulations, which is Article 12 of the City’s Zoning Resolution. Businesses interested in posting any signs, whether temporary, wall/window, or monument, should review the sign ordinance to ensure compliance and apply for the correct permit on the website or with the Planning & Development Department at City Hall. If you have any questions, please call 770-963-7451.

**Please note that new businesses as well as those that are changing names, changing ownership, or moving to a new location must obtain a new certificate of occupancy through the Gwinnett County Fire Marshal and the City of Dacula. This certificate is required before you may legally occupy your building, obtain your occupational tax certificate, and conduct business operations. For those changing names, ownership, or moving to a new location, please submit a completed Change Request form within 10 days of the change.

STEP 2 (for Home-Based Businesses)

1. Confirm with the City of Dacula at 770-963-7451 to see if the proposed business type is permitted in residential areas.
2. If business type is acceptable, submit an Occupational Tax Certificate Application and Home Occupation Affidavit to daculacityhall@daculaga.gov or in person at City Hall.
   • New Business License Application
   • Home Occupation Affidavit
   • Complete all forms provided. Print and sign. (Note that some forms require notarization)

Gwinnett County Assessor

Personal Property - Business reporting is required. Email personal.property@gwinnettcounty.com with questions.

STEP 3
Pay for Occupational Tax Certificate. For newly established businesses, fees are calculated based on an estimation of gross receipts. Payments can be made in person, by mail, or over the phone. If you apply in person, payment will be accepted at time of submission. You may pay with cash, check, or credit/debit card. Surcharges are added for card transactions. 

STEP 4 (for Restaurants)
All restaurants must get approval from GNR Public Health, which requires a health inspection.

If your business will be serving alcohol, an Alcohol License Application must be submitted and approved prior to serving alcohol.

COMPLETE
Congratulations! You may open for business.

Business Renewals / Closures

Visit our Occupational Tax Renewal page for further details on how to renew your business.

If your business has closed, moved, or sold, please fill out the Change Request form and email the completed form to daculacityhall@daculaga.gov. 

Please be aware: Georgia’s “Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011” (HB 87) requires that business license applicants and renewals be in compliance with new state immigration and identification standards. In order to be in compliance, the City of Dacula must require the affidavits and verifiable documentation that are included and identified in the application forms referenced above.

Under Georgia Law, employers must now register and utilize the FEDERAL WORK AUTHORIZATION PROGRAM in accordance with the applicable provisions and deadlines established in OCGA § 36-60-6(a). For more information please visit uscis.gov/e-verify The City of Dacula will not issue initial licenses, certificates or renewals without a completed Private Employer Affidavit on file.