What is the difference between a registered and a master septic contractor?

Both are individual registrations with DEP. The master registration is the senior one and additionally covers maintenance and servicing work. For an ordinary installation or repair, a registered septic tank contractor is the credential that matters.

Does the company need its own licence as well as the contractor?

Yes. Florida authorises the business separately from the individual, and DEP records which registered contractor qualifies each business. A company without a current business authorisation should not be contracting for septic work even if the person running it is personally registered.

What does 'Septic Exempt' mean on a listing?

It is a narrower registration than a full business authorisation. If a listing shows it, ask the company directly what their registration covers before assuming it covers your job.

How current is this information?

DEP generates its list live from its own database each time it is requested, so what appears here is what DEP held on 2026-08-26. Every listing also shows the authorisation's expiry date.

Florida septic contractor registration, explained

Florida licenses the person and authorises the business, as two separate things with two separate numbers. A company needs both, and a homeowner checking only one has checked half.

Three credentials, two of which you should check

Registered Septic Tank Contractor (SR). An individual registration with DEP, permitting the holder to install, repair and alter onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems. This is the standard credential.

Master Septic Tank Contractor (SM). The senior individual registration. It covers what SR covers and additionally the maintenance and servicing of systems.

Business authorisation (SA). Held by the company, not the person. Florida requires it before a business may contract for septic work, and DEP records which registered contractor qualifies it. Some businesses instead hold a narrower Septic Exempt registration.

There are currently 636 registered and 79 master contractors active, behind 609 authorised businesses. Businesses by county →

What to actually ask for

Ask for the business authorisation number, which starts SA, and the contractor registration number, which starts SR or SM. Both are on every Florida listing here. Then check them against DEP’s own search, which is a live query against the same database this site republishes.

Check the expiry date too — we print it on every listing. Florida registrations lapse, and a lapsed one is not a technicality: an unauthorised business contracting for septic work is committing an offence, and your permit inspection is where that surfaces.

What the registration does not tell you

It is not a statement about insurance, price, timeliness or quality of work. It says DEP holds a current registration for that person and that business. Ask separately about liability insurance and workers’ compensation, and get the quote in writing.

The full verification steps, in every state →

Common questions

What is the difference between a registered and a master septic contractor?: Both are individual registrations with DEP. The master registration is the senior one and additionally covers maintenance and servicing work. For an ordinary installation or repair, a registered septic tank contractor is the credential that matters.
Does the company need its own licence as well as the contractor?: Yes. Florida authorises the business separately from the individual, and DEP records which registered contractor qualifies each business. A company without a current business authorisation should not be contracting for septic work even if the person running it is personally registered.
What does 'Septic Exempt' mean on a listing?: It is a narrower registration than a full business authorisation. If a listing shows it, ask the company directly what their registration covers before assuming it covers your job.
How current is this information?: DEP generates its list live from its own database each time it is requested, so what appears here is what DEP held on 2026-08-26. Every listing also shows the authorisation's expiry date.

Sources

Florida DEP — Contractor registration search and current lists — the source this site republishes
Florida DEP — Septic tank contractor registration

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.