Zoning Library › Georgia › Moultrie, GA
Moultrie, GA zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Moultrie, GA?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: C-2, C-3.
It needs a conditional or special use approval in: C-1R, C-2R, C-3R, M-1, M-1S, M-2, R-4.
It is not allowed in 10 districts: AG-1, C-4, R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, R-2, R-3, R-CD, R-PUD, R-TH.
4 districts are not confirmed yet.
Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district
| District | Drive-thru restaurant | What the code says | Section | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AG-1 | Not allowed | Agricultural list a-q has no restaurant or drive-in. | Sec. 18.02 p.145 | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| C-1 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| C-1R | Conditional | "receive the approval of such use by, the Planning Commission before any permits therefor shall be issued." Stacking: 3 off-street waiting spaces per service window (Sec. 6.04); drive-in eating parking 1 per 25 sf, min 40 spaces (6.01); drive-in separated from residential by building or 5 ft masonry wall (4.31(b)); 20 ft greenbelt next to residential (4.31(a)) | Sec. 11.06 p.106 | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| C-1T | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| C-2 | By right | "Drive-in establishment or open front store, subject to the requirements of the City's Code of Ordinances" Sec. 12.02(vv) conditions: entrance/exit 25 ft+ from intersection, direct access to major thoroughfare, no light onto residential, consider school proximity; Stacking: 3 off-street waiting spaces per service window (Sec. 6.04); drive-in eating parking 1 per 25 sf, min 40 spaces (6.01); drive-in separated from residential by building or 5 ft masonry wall (4.31(b)); 20 ft greenbelt next to residential (4.31(a)); definition of drive-in establishment excludes drive-in restaurants (interpretive question) | Sec. 12.02(vv), (m) p.111 | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| C-2R | Conditional | "receive its approval of the specific use for such land and also receive the approval of the Mayor and Council" Sec. 12.02(vv) conditions: entrance/exit 25 ft+ from intersection, direct access to major thoroughfare, no light onto residential, consider school proximity; Stacking: 3 off-street waiting spaces per service window (Sec. 6.04); drive-in eating parking 1 per 25 sf, min 40 spaces (6.01); drive-in separated from residential by building or 5 ft masonry wall (4.31(b)); 20 ft greenbelt next to residential (4.31(a)) | Sec. 12.05 p.112 | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| C-3 | By right | "All permitted uses in a C-2 District, subject to regulations set forth in Schedule of Regulations" Sec. 12.02(vv) conditions: entrance/exit 25 ft+ from intersection, direct access to major thoroughfare, no light onto residential, consider school proximity; Stacking: 3 off-street waiting spaces per service window (Sec. 6.04); drive-in eating parking 1 per 25 sf, min 40 spaces (6.01); drive-in separated from residential by building or 5 ft masonry wall (4.31(b)); 20 ft greenbelt next to residential (4.31(a)) | Sec. 13.02(a) p.113 | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| C-3R | Conditional | "must submit to the Planning Commission and receive its approval of the specific use for such land" Stacking: 3 off-street waiting spaces per service window (Sec. 6.04); drive-in eating parking 1 per 25 sf, min 40 spaces (6.01); drive-in separated from residential by building or 5 ft masonry wall (4.31(b)); 20 ft greenbelt next to residential (4.31(a)); also Mayor and Council | Sec. 13.05 p.114 | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| C-4 | Not allowed | "Restaurants and cafes" (no drive-in use listed) | Sec. 13-A-.01 item 11 p.115 | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| C-PUD | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| M-1 | Conditional | "All permitted uses in a C-3 District, subject to regulations set forth in the Schedule of Regulations" (special approval) Stacking: 3 off-street waiting spaces per service window (Sec. 6.04); drive-in eating parking 1 per 25 sf, min 40 spaces (6.01); drive-in separated from residential by building or 5 ft masonry wall (4.31(b)); 20 ft greenbelt next to residential (4.31(a)) | Sec. 16.02.1 p.136 | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| M-1S | Conditional | "shall be the same as those for an M-1 District respectively" Stacking: 3 off-street waiting spaces per service window (Sec. 6.04); drive-in eating parking 1 per 25 sf, min 40 spaces (6.01); drive-in separated from residential by building or 5 ft masonry wall (4.31(b)); 20 ft greenbelt next to residential (4.31(a)); 7 ft masonry wall at residential | Art. XVI-A p.140 | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| M-2 | Conditional | "All special uses in an M-1 District, subject to regulations set forth in the Schedule of Regulations" Stacking: 3 off-street waiting spaces per service window (Sec. 6.04); drive-in eating parking 1 per 25 sf, min 40 spaces (6.01); drive-in separated from residential by building or 5 ft masonry wall (4.31(b)); 20 ft greenbelt next to residential (4.31(a)) | Sec. 17.02.1 p.141 | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| MUD | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| R-1A | Not allowed | No restaurant or drive-in in the residential permitted lists. | Art. VII-X-A | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-1B | Not allowed | No restaurant or drive-in in the residential permitted lists. | Art. VII-X-A | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-1C | Not allowed | No restaurant or drive-in in the residential permitted lists. | Art. VII-X-A | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-2 | Not allowed | No restaurant or drive-in in the residential permitted lists. | Art. VII-X-A | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-3 | Not allowed | No restaurant or drive-in in the residential permitted lists. | Art. VII-X-A | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-4 | Conditional | "PERMISSIBLE ON APPEAL AFTER APPROVAL OF PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL." (uses permitted in C-2) Stacking: 3 off-street waiting spaces per service window (Sec. 6.04); drive-in eating parking 1 per 25 sf, min 40 spaces (6.01); drive-in separated from residential by building or 5 ft masonry wall (4.31(b)); 20 ft greenbelt next to residential (4.31(a)) | Sec. 9-A-01(c) p.79 | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-CD | Not allowed | No restaurant or drive-in in the residential permitted lists. | Art. VII-X-A | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-PUD | Not allowed | No restaurant or drive-in in the residential permitted lists. | Art. VII-X-A | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-TH | Not allowed | No restaurant or drive-in in the residential permitted lists. | Art. VII-X-A | moultriega.com | 2026-11-15 |
"By right" means permitted with site plan and building permit review only. Overlay districts, planned developments (PD/PUD) and conditions attached to a past rezoning can change the answer for a single parcel.
Zoning map
No public GIS zoning layer found. no public layer (none found on ArcGIS Online or city/county sites); district from Colquitt County qPublic parcel page or city zoning map. Code: moultriega.com 2024 upload of the 1972 ordinance (reprinted 2011) - confirm amendments with city planning.
Sources
How to confirm before you buy
- Look up the parcel on the official zoning map to get its district and any overlay.
- Open the code section linked in the table and read the use table and the drive-thru standards.
- Call the planning office and ask whether a drive-thru restaurant needs anything beyond site plan review at that address.
Why this library exists
I'm Luke Smith. I find land for drive-thru brands like 7 Brew, Ellianos Coffee and Starbucks, sign the tenant, build the shop and sell it as a net lease property. Every deal starts with the same question: is the use allowed here without a rezoning? Getting that answer takes too long, so we read the codes (with AI research help), and I publish what we find with a link back to every source so you can check it yourself.
If you have a site that fits a drive-thru, or you want to learn how these deals are put together, join the free Reverse Deal Finder community on Skool, see cap rates and land prices by brand, or call 1-760-392-1525. Brokers welcome: I pay commissions.