Park Use Rules and Regulations

City of South Fulton parks are communal areas, and those who visit them should show respect towards themselves, others, and the park’s property. There are certain rules that govern conduct in parks that we would like to highlight. These rules are outlined below, followed by excerpts from the City of South Fulton Code of Ordinances that apply to City parks. For more comprehensive legal information, please refer to the online version of the Code of Ordinances (https://library.municode.com/ga/south_fulton/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PT2COOR_TIT11PARE).

Please visit CivicRec if you would like to reserve a pavilion or room.

  • Parks are open from 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM from Monday to Friday. Please note that these hours may vary depending on specific parks and special events. For the most accurate information, it’s best to check with the specific park you plan to visit.
  • Park Leash Law: No individual is allowed to let a dog or other canine roam freely in city parks or recreational facilities.
  • Respect Commercial Activity Restrictions: Do not sell or offer for sale any merchandise, operate a concession, or engage in any commercial activity in a park or recreation facility without authorization.
  • Avoid Damage to Park Property: Do not deface, harm, or damage any park buildings, wildlife, property, equipment, signs, or vegetation.
  • Do Not Discharge Firearms: Do not discharge firearms or use any device capable of throwing any projectile within any city park or recreational facility.
  • Restrict Drone Use: Do not operate a drone within the airspace above a city park or recreation facility without authorization by permit.
  • Avoid Dumping on Public Property: Do not throw, deposit, place or cause to be placed on any city park or recreation facility any household furnishings, appliances or parts or components thereof, vehicle parts or components, construction debris, dirt, earth, yard waste, garbage, refuse, kitchen waste, recyclables or other similar substances, sewage, petroleum products, antifreeze; including fluids leaking from vehicles.
  • Pay Recreation Use Fees: Pay designated parking or recreational use fees in any city park or recreational facility.
  • Golfing Regulated: Practice or play golf in a city park only if it is a recreation facility designated for such use.
  • Do Not Injure Public Property: Do not cut, break, mutilate, deface or engage in any indecent or loud acts of behavior that destroy or injure any public property belonging to the city.
  • Avoid Interference with Park Official or Employee: Do not impede, intimidate, violate forcibly resist, interfere with any park ranger, park official or employee of a City of South Fulton park or recreation facility engaged in the performance of his/her official duties.
  • Do Not Kill or Disturb Wildlife: It’s unlawful to kill or disturb wildlife.

Excerpts From The City of South Fulton Code of Ordinances

(a)

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. All persons utilizing park department property, including youth athletic associations, visitors and volunteers, must comply with all applicable local, state and federal rules, policies, regulations and laws (referred to herein as "governing laws"). The failure to comply with governing laws may result in civil and/or criminal liability, as well as access to park department property being delayed, suspended, revoked and/or denied.

(b)

The following procedure will be utilized for minor acts of non-compliance:

(1)

The department of parks and recreation will send, by certified mail, a letter to the association president and board members outlining the offense. If the association is not compliant within seven days of the receipt of the letter, then:

(2)

The department will lock concession stands and restrict access to electricity for the concession stand and field lights until the association is compliant with City of South Fulton Department of Parks and Recreation Policies and Procedures for Youth Athletic Associations Operating on City of South Fulton Property. If the association is not compliant within three days, then:

(3)

The department will send, by certified mail and/or hand delivery to the associations commissioner/president a letter demanding that all the athletic association immediately cease and desist all uses of city park property. The department will release the volunteer(s) or volunteer organization and will not issue a field use agreement to the association for a period of one year.

(c)

For any act or violation of this agreement that involves violence, financial malfeasance, or other acts deemed egregious, the department of parks and recreation reserves the right to immediately restrict access to the park including all fields, electricity, field lights, and amenities.

It shall be unlawful for any person or organization to conduct a special event upon city park property that affects the ordinary use of the city park without first having obtained a special event permit from the city. All special event permits for city parks are subject to the authorization of the parks and recreation director.

Sec. 11-5006. - Performance or special events costs.

(a)

Performance deposit. A performance deposit of 150 percent of the total estimated costs of the special event to the city shall be remitted to the city before the special event permit is issued. This requirement may be waived by the parks and recreation director or his or her designee if he or she determines, based on specific factual findings, that the performance deposit would be unduly burdensome or unnecessary given the size of the event or past history.

(b)

Insurance. At the city's request, the applicant may be required to obtain and present evidence of a surety indemnity bond or comprehensive liability insurance naming the city as an additional insured. The insurance requirement is a minimum of $1,000,000.00 personal injury per occurrence and $500,000.00 property damage per occurrence against all claims arising from permits issued pursuant to this chapter. If the event poses higher risks than covered by such insurance, the applicant shall be responsible for assessing the risks of the event and obtaining additional insurance coverage.

(c)

Save harmless agreement. The applicant is required to provide a save harmless agreement in which the applicant agrees to defend, pay and save harmless the city, its officers and employees, from any and all claims or lawsuits for personal injury or property damage arising from or in any way connected to the special event; excepting any claims arising solely out of the negligent acts of the city, its officers and employees.

(d)

Cleanup. A special event permit may be issued only after adequate waste disposal facilities including, where necessary, portable toilets, have been identified and obtained by the applicant. The applicant will clean the right-of-way or public property of rubbish and debris, returning it to its pre-event condition, within 24 hours of the conclusion of the event. If the applicant fails to clean up such refuse within 24 hours of the conclusion of the event, such cleanup shall be arranged by the city and the city may retain a portion or all of the performance deposit and apply such funds to cover costs incurred by the city for cleanup ("cleanup costs"). Should the performance deposit fail to cover all cleanup costs, the city may charge the applicant for the remainder of such cleanup costs.

(1)

Failure to pay outstanding cleanup costs. Failure to pay any outstanding cleanup costs incurred by the city after an applicants' special event shall prevent the city from issuing subsequent special permits to the applicant until all cleanup costs have been paid.

(e)

Bond waiver. Upon written request and submittal of appropriate documentation, the parks and recreation director or his or her designee may waive the bond requirement if he determines that such fee is overly burdensome, unlawfully burdens speech or does not promote the general welfare of the city. This subsection may be appealed to the city municipal court.

(f)

Immunities.

(1)

This section shall not be construed as a waiver of any immunity to which the city is entitled.

(2)

This chapter shall not be construed as imposing upon the city or its officials or employees any liability or responsibility for any injury or damage to any person in any way connected to the use for which permit has been issued. The city and its officials and employees shall not be deemed to have assumed any liability or responsibility by reasons of inspections performed, the issuance of any permit or the approval of any use of the right-of-way or other public property.

Sec. 11-5007. - Demonstrations, parades, marches and processions.

Demonstrations, races, parades, marches and processions shall: a) be considered special events as defined in this chapter; b) include activities occurring on city streets, sidewalks and rights-of-way; and c) shall require issuance of a permit subject to the fees and conditions contained in this chapter and as specified in this section.

  • The City Municipal Court shall hear cases and assess fines for violation of this chapter. The parks and recreation director shall cause signs reflecting this policy to be erected and posted in appropriate locations throughout city parks and recreational facilities, but the failure to post any such sign shall not relieve any person from the obligation to comply with the provisions of this section.

  • Every city park shall have wifi that covers the entire park, with sufficient capacity to accommodate regular park attendance, as may be approved by the city council, subject to budgetary limitations.


  • Every park with an enclosed, indoor, facility shall have at least one staff person during regular business hours.


  • Sec. 11-6007. - Council sponsored programs and initiatives.

    Councilmembers may conduct and/or introduce public programs or initiatives in any park in their respective districts. councilmembers may conduct and/or introduce public programs or initiatives in any city park outside their respective districts with city council approval. The mayor may conduct and/or introduce public programs or initiatives in any city park. All requests for funding and city resources for use at parks shall be brought by the mayor and councilmembers before the city council for approval.


  • Sec. 11-6001. - Prohibition of independent commercial activities at parks and park facilities.

    (a)

    Only commercial activities which are authorized or controlled by concession or contract with the city or are part of any city-sponsored program shall be allowed in the city's parks and park facilities.

    (b)

    Except as may be authorized under subsection (a) of this section, there shall be no independent commercial activity undertaken at any city park or park facility by any individual, firm, partnership, cooperative, nonprofit membership corporation, joint venture, association, company, corporation, agency, syndicate, estate, trust, business trust, receiver, fiduciary or other group, organization or combination acting as a unit.

    (c)

    Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of up to $1,000.00 and/or imprisonment in jail for a period not to exceed six months.


Sec. 11-6002. - Permits for loudspeakers required.

No person shall use, operate, or permit to be played, used, or operated any loudspeaker, amplifier, radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph, or other machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound which is passed upon any city park or recreational facility without obtaining the prior approval of the parks and recreation director or his or her designee. The director, when requested during his or her normal business hours to grant a use permit at least 48 hours in advance of the planned use, shall not unreasonably withhold his approval of the use and shall issue a use permit on any form as he shall deem appropriate. The director shall not refuse to issue any permit unless the use of the loudspeaker sought to be approved in conjunction with the use of any other loudspeakers theretofore approved by the director for use at the same time shall, in the opinion of the director, constitute a nuisance as contemplated in this section.