[3] What started as a regional bank in South Georgia began its expansion into neighboring states in 1996 when it branched into Alabama.

As an SBA-preferred lender, Ameris Bank worked with its commercial customers to provide relief during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic.

[4] On November 7, 2023, the court entered a consent order in United States v. Ameris Bank (M.D.

The complaint, which was filed on October 19, 2023, alleged that Ameris Bank violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA) by engaging in unlawful redlining in the bank’s Jacksonville, Florida service area.

The Department’s complaint alleges that, from 2016 through 2021, Ameris Bank avoided providing mortgage services to majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Jacksonville and discouraged people seeking credit in those communities from obtaining home loans.

Ameris will also retain a consultant to assess the bank’s compliance management system as it pertains to redlining risk across all of its markets.