To be eligible to participate in the certificate program, an individual must:

Be a G.A.C.E. Member; and Be currently employed in local or state government with code enforcement responsibilities.

Requirements for designation in the CEOCP includes the completion of a 48 hour curriculum and successful completion of a written exam after each course.

Courses are typically offered at the Fall and Spring GACE Conference.

The requirements for Level One and Level Two GACE certificates were revised and updated in 2008.

Prior to 2008, these training requirements had not been changed since 2004.

All adult professional training programs should be examined periodically to verify that they are

meeting their educational objectives and continuing to be useful to their audience—in this case local government code enforcement officials in Georgia.

The 2008 changes were also made because: 1) some courses were found to be 

less relevant to a large percentage of the GACE membership than originally 

thought, e.g., Private Water & Wastewater Systems; 2) some of the courses overlapped 

material covered in other required courses, e.g., Investigation Process; and 3) 

the Carl Vinson Institute of Government’s review of the GACE Certificate program indicated 

that it’s training and educational impact could be enhanced if some courses were offered 

in a six-hour format rather than a three-hour format. The new requirements are listed below:

This course outlines methods utilized to ensure proper enforcement of codes, including 

the evidence gathering process, standard procedures to follow to prepare code enforcement 

cases, effective public education and appropriate documentation. It also examines the role of the Code Enforcement Officer as a witness, including witness preparation and presentation of cases. Finally, this course includes a discussion of non-regulatory enforcement techniques for accomplishing code enforcement policy goals.

This course examines various environmental issues such as protecting the ecosystems and 

natural processes that must remain balanced for our communities to sustain a high quality of life. 

This course also covers recycling, air & water pollution, insects, noxious weeds, erosion & sedimentation 

and other environmentally-based nuisances.

This course explores the reasons and legal basis for the development of ordinances and codes, 

the structures of local government in Georgia, essential principles of legal due process as they relate to code enforcement, the legal underpinnings of the state-local relationship as it pertains to code enforcement, the legal limitations of local code officers and the relevant legal procedures the code 

enforcement officer needs to know to perform his/her job.

This course will outline basic considerations in the housing rehabilitation process, 

including maintenance and occupancy of structures with code problems. It includes estimating deterioration, notification of property owners, application of the provisions of the ICC Property Maintenance Code, coordination between agencies, and working with owners to obtain compliance.

This course outlines the basic methods needed for effective enforcement of local zoning and related land use codes. It explores the purpose of zoning codes, the zoning process, the role of the zoning administrator, zoning district designations and dealing with non-conforming uses and how this relates to the work of the code official.

This course examines the importance of proper ethical behavior, assessing the different ethical styles and perspectives co-workers and citizens bring to their decision-making, how to model an ethical work place, and make consistently ethical decisions in an environment full of exceptions and special circumstances. A proper understanding of public ethics also extends to the way code enforcement officials use their power and influence appropriately, so this course also includes guidelines and principles for ways to effectively utilize the influence provided by the government, and what we bring to it.

This course will outline how a code enforcement officer deals with asbestos, demolition waste, barrels with unknown contents, paints and other chemicals. All of them present unique problems for the code enforcement officer, especially where there is not a readily available responsible party, Current laws regarding special and hazardous wastes are reviewed, along with strategies for handling them and providing public information about these hazards. This course is conducted by representatives from the Georgia EPD.

This course will cover how a code enforcement officer’s professional success is directly related to the quality of their interpersonal skills, skills they use in dealing with fellow employees, elected officials, citizens, property owners and community groups. This course provides techniques for effective coaching and communication that participants can utilize all their lives to improve interpersonal skills, inspire trust and improve work outcomes.

This course discusses the fundamental planning concepts with which code officers should know about, and how the work of code enforcement officers should be coordinated with planners and developers especially in growth areas. Code compliance can have a direct impact on a city’s or county’s development objectives, but to coordinate these functions requires that the two disciplines better understand each other’s worlds.

In some smaller jurisdictions the same person is responsible for code enforcement, planning and zoning, but they are usually separated. Planners and developers work more with volunteer boards than code enforcement officers, but understanding how these citizen commissions work is also important to achieving both development and code enforcement objectives.

Right-of-way encroachments come in many shapes, colors and sizes. They include signs, trailers, landscaping, vehicles, drainage structures and more. Many adjoining property owners do not realize where their property ends and the public property begins, and they consider the public right-of-way theirs to use as they please.

Regardless of the types of ordinances cities and counties may adopt to regulate the public right-of-way, local government has liability for what goes on there. Consequently, local code officials must deal with encroachments uniformly and fairly, but do so in a manner that complies with current statutes and case law, as well as what makes the most political sense.

This course will outline safety and health issues for the code officer, work place safety rules, and strategies for preventing the injuries most common to persons working in the area of local government code enforcement. Although local governments are not required to follow OSHA rules, they are still a safety standard which can be very useful in maintaining the health and safety of code officials even when they are in potentially dangerous environments. This course will cover the suggested guidelines for helping code officials detect and mitigate threats to their personal safety, basic principles of risk management that apply to code enforcement and related materials.

Both the Level One and Level Two code enforcement certificates require the completion of elective courses. Electives should be selected by GACE participants based on their own professional development needs and the specific kinds of code enforcement services provided by the member’s city or county for which they are responsible. Each conference includes electives that have been offered in the past which have been popular and relevant, as well as electives which have not been offered in the past and are intended to provide an opportunity for GACE members to stay current on new laws, practices and enforcement techniques, and to expand their knowledge and skills.