Gwinnett County Non-Discrimination Ordinance: Military or Veteran Status

Gwinnett County Code chapter 18, article XIV, adopted June 4, 2024 (Ordinance GCID 2024-0456), makes it unlawful for a business in unincorporated Gwinnett to refuse to hire, discharge or otherwise discriminate against a person in employment, or to refuse or make distinctions in its goods, services and facilities, because of actual or perceived "military or veteran status", among other characteristics. A "business" is one that needs a county occupation tax certificate; government is not covered. Complaints are accepted for acts on or after January 1, 2025. What it allows. Section 18-577 keeps lawful any discount, special price or other benefit a business offers because of military or veteran status. How to complain. File a complete, notarised complaint with the County Attorney on the county's form within 30 calendar days. A $50 fee applies only if the complainant has had two or more complaints dismissed in the previous two years, and is refunded if the complaint is not dismissed. The County Attorney appoints an outside lawyer as complaint examination officer, who reviews the complaint and any answer within 30 days, then tries for up to 30 days to negotiate a resolution. If none is reached and the officer finds reasonable grounds, the matter goes to the Department of Planning and Development for a citation in the Recorders Court, punishable under the Code's general penalty. Limits. The ordinance gives no remedy where federal or state law already provides one for the same conduct. Employment discrimination because of military service is already covered by the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, so in practice the ordinance matters most for public accommodations and for veteran status outside USERRA's reach. It does not apply inside Gwinnett's cities.