Alabama septic licences and service areas, explained
Alabama does something no other state on this site does: it publishes the counties each licensee is actually allowed to work in. That makes 'is this company licensed near me' a question with a real answer rather than an inference from their office address.
Service counties, not just a business address
Most states file a licensed company under the county its office sits in, which tells you very little about where it will actually travel. Alabama records a base county and a separate list of counties of operation — the counties that licensee is authorised to work in.
This site uses that list. An Alabama company authorised for seven counties appears on all seven county pages, because it can legitimately do the work in all seven. That is the closest thing to a real service-area directory that public records anywhere allow.
Three installer levels, and a separate pumper licence
Basic Installer covers conventional onsite wastewater systems — a tank and a gravity drain field, which is most residential work.
Advanced Level 1 Installer adds the engineered systems that need more than gravity to work.
Advanced Level 2 Installer covers the full range, up to the most complex engineered designs.
Pumper is a separate licence entirely, for pumping out and hauling septic tank waste. A company can hold installer licences, pumper licences or both, and this site splits them: 916 installers and 451 pumpers.
The board licenses people, the county permits the system
Two different offices, and homeowners routinely call the wrong one. The Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board licenses the installer or pumper. Your county health department permits and inspects the system itself. A job normally involves both, and neither can answer the other’s questions.
Checking a licence
Every Alabama listing here carries the licence number, its type and the date it was issued. The board’s own verification list is the authority, and it is public — the same list this site republishes. Licences run by calendar year and are renewed annually.
Common questions
- What is the difference between Basic and Advanced Level installer?
- Basic covers conventional onsite wastewater systems. Advanced Level 1 adds engineered systems that need more than gravity, and Advanced Level 2 covers the full range including the most complex engineered designs. If your soil or lot forces an engineered system, the level on your installer's licence is what decides whether they may install it.
- Does an Alabama licence cover the whole state?
- Not the way most states work. The board records the counties each licensee is authorised to operate in, and that list is published alongside their licence. It is worth checking your county is on it — this site lists every licensee under each county they are authorised for, not just where their office is.
- Is a pumper licence the same as an installer licence?
- No. Pumping out and hauling septic waste is a separate licence from installing systems, and plenty of companies hold only one. Hiring an installer to pump your tank, or the reverse, wastes a call-out.
- How current is this?
- The board's licence verification list is published live, and these 1,046 companies and 1,583 licensees were read from it on 2026-08-26. Alabama licences are issued for a calendar year, so a licence issued in January is current for that year.
Sources
- Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board — Licence verification list — the source this site republishes
- Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board
Last reviewed August 2026. General information about how these licensing systems work, not legal or engineering advice. Tell us if something is out of date.