Georgia septic permits, county by county
The split confuses almost everyone the first time: the state says who may do the work, the county says whether this particular hole in this particular yard is allowed.
Two authorities, two different questions
The state — the Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section — certifies companies to install septic systems and approves companies to pump them. That certification is what the rosters on this site record, and it is granted centrally.
Your county environmental health office does everything that touches your actual property: issuing the construction permit, evaluating the site and soil, inspecting the installation before it is covered, and holding the file afterwards. It also issues the septage removal permit a pumping company needs for its truck.
The practical consequence: a certified installer cannot get you around a county permit, and a county permit does not substitute for certification. You need both, and they are obtained in different places.
What typically needs a permit
- Installing a septic system on a new build.
- Replacing or relocating a tank, or repairing or extending a drain field.
- Adding bedrooms, an apartment or anything else that increases the load on the system.
- Work that changes the site around the system — grading, driveways, pools, outbuildings over the field.
Routine pumping does not require a permit for the homeowner, but the pumping company itself must hold a current county septage removal permit. That is a question worth asking when you book.
Call your county before you plan anything
County offices differ in how they run site evaluations, what they charge and how far ahead they book — and in rural counties an inspection slot can be the long pole in the whole project. The number below is from the Georgia DPH county environmental health contact sheet; every county page on this site carries it alongside that county’s certified companies.
County environmental health offices
| County | Environmental health | Certified companies |
|---|
Several counties share a single regional number — that is how the state publishes it, not a mistake. If the number routes you to a district office, ask for the environmental health desk covering your county.
Sources
- Georgia DPH — Environmental Health — county office contact sheet
- Georgia DPH — Onsite Sewage
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.