Do I need a permit for electrical panel or service upgrade in Smyrna?

Yes. In Georgia, electrical panel or service upgrade generally requires a permit, and Smyrna is no exception.

Panel changes and service upgrades require an electrical permit and inspection in Georgia; the power company usually will not reconnect an upgraded service without a passed inspection. Work must meet the adopted National Electrical Code as amended for Georgia; most jurisdictions require a licensed electrician. Cobb County's own permitting office is the Cobb County Development and Inspections, reachable on 770-528-1000 at https://www.cobbcounty.gov/community-development/building-development/permitting. Its online permit portal is https://cobbca.cobbcounty.gov/CitizenAccess/default.aspx. It issues permits for the unincorporated county. If your city does not run its own building department, and many smaller Georgia municipalities do not, this is the office that will handle the job. A service change needs the inspection to clear before the utility resets the meter, so schedule it before the changeover day. Smyrna Code Sec. 18-96 requires an electrical permit for any installation or alteration of wiring or any increase in rated load, issued only to a licensed electrical contractor or to a person doing the work in their own home without help. Minor repairs with no new work or alteration are exempt under Sec. 18-69, but that exemption does not reach new circuits, circuit extensions or new equipment. Under Sec. 18-65, the electrical inspector's certificate of approval is what authorizes the current to be turned on.