Accessible parking laws in Georgia

Georgia’s Fair Housing Act is substantially equivalent to the federal Fair Housing Act and provides no noteworthy additional protections to those with disabilities. This means that whether you file your complaint with HUD or a state agency, your outcome should be the same. However, as HUD sometimes refers complaints to state agencies, you should be familiar with Georgia’s process for preventing housing discrimination.

Who do I contact if my accessible parking rights are infringed in Georgia?

If your landlord or employer isn’t providing enough accessible parking, we encourage you to use the form letters on our Resources page to request they add more. This is usually the first step in straightening out any accessible parking problem.

Complaints in Georgia are filed with the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity (GCEO), and must be filed within one year of the discriminatory incident. If you choose to file a private suit in civil court, you have two years from the date of the incident to do so. The GCEO provides a complaint form on its website. Though further instructions are limited, it appears that complaints can be sent via mail to the address provided here, though it may be best to contact the “intake coordinator” for complaints at (1-800-473-OPEN) in order to receive more specific instructions, and to receive their assistance in writing your initial complaint.

GCEO staff members will interview you, provide notice of the complaint to your housing provider, and act as neutral parties while carrying out further investigation. They will also help the parties reach a mediated settlement, if possible. If no settlement occurs, while it is possible to have an administrative hearing, this appears to occur infrequently if at all. Housing discrimination charges that do not settle typically end up being filed in court as a lawsuit.

For this reason, you may find it especially helpful to reach out to fair housing non-profits in your area and legal aid services, if you qualify for any. You may find helpful advice from one of the local organizations listed here, though the list is quite limited. If you are in the Atlanta area, you can contact Atlanta Legal Aid. The Georgia Legal Services Program serves rural areas of the state outside Atlanta, and Georgia Legal Aid provides a variety of educational and legal resources.

The information contained in these pages is for informational purposes only, and it’s no substitute for legal counsel.