East Texas Septic Permits by County

Who issues septic permits in Texas?

Your septic permit comes from a local authorized agent (usually the county, sometimes a city or river authority) or, where no local program exists, from the TCEQ regional office. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) writes the statewide rules for on-site sewage facilities (OSSFs) in 30 TAC Chapter 285, under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366, and local governments can adopt stricter ones.

TCEQ’s own permits page says it “is not often the OSSF permitting authority.” Statewide, TCEQ reports 43,165 OSSF permits issued in 2025.

Many county programs are run day to day by a designated representative, a person licensed by TCEQ whom the authorized agent appoints to review applications and inspect systems (30 TAC 285.2).

Septic permitting authority by county

TCEQ’s authorized agent search lists a local agent in all eight counties this site covers, all within TCEQ Region 5 (Tyler).

County	Towns on this site	Permitting authority (per TCEQ lookup)	Where to check
Smith	Tyler, Lindale, Whitehouse, Bullard (Smith side)	Smith County, through its contractor RTS Environmental LLC. Covers unincorporated Smith County, the City of Tyler and the Smith County side of Bullard. Noonday has its own agent.	Smith County OSSF page
Gregg	Longview, Kilgore, Gladewater, White Oak	Gregg County Health Department. Also administers the City of Longview program for now, plus Gladewater.	Gregg County septic page
Harrison	Marshall, Hallsville, Harrison County part of Longview	Harrison County Environmental Health, Marshall. Covers the entire county.	Harrison County Environmental Health
Rusk	Henderson, Rusk County part of Kilgore	Rusk County authorized agent, with a county designated representative at the courthouse in Henderson	Rusk County septic inspection
Upshur	Gilmer, Upshur County part of Gladewater	Upshur County authorized agent, unincorporated county. The Northeast Texas Municipal Water District runs the program as designated representative.	NETMWD onsite septic program
Van Zandt	Canton	Van Zandt County authorized agent (Fire Marshal’s office), covering unincorporated Van Zandt County and the City of Canton	Van Zandt County Fire Marshal
Wood	Mineola	Wood County authorized agent, Quitman office, unincorporated county	TCEQ lookup
Cherokee	Jacksonville, Bullard (Cherokee side)	City of Jacksonville is its own authorized agent inside city limits. Cherokee County’s agent, in Rusk, covers unincorporated county.	TCEQ lookup

Two details from the lookup trip people up:

• Lakes have their own agents. Near Lake Palestine (Smith and Cherokee counties), the Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority permits systems in its water quality zone. Within 2,000 feet of the Lake Fork (Wood) or Lake Tawakoni (Van Zandt) project boundary, the Sabine River Authority is listed.
• City limits. If your city is not listed separately, the lookup’s own instructions say to contact the county.

When do you need a septic permit?

You need a permit before you build, change or replace almost any part of a septic system. Texas law requires “a permit and an approved plan to construct, alter, repair, extend, or operate” an OSSF (Health and Safety Code 366.051, 30 TAC 285.3(a)). In practice that covers:

• A new system for a new home, a new building with plumbing, or a lot that never had one.
• A replacement tank or drain field. Under 30 TAC 285.2, replacing either one is a repair that “requires a permit for the entire OSSF system.”
• An alteration, which the rules define to include an increase in permitted flow, a change from the approved plans, or an expansion of the treatment or disposal system. Adding bedrooms or living space can do this; the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District’s FAQ says added square footage with water fixtures needs a permit.
• Switching system types, such as conventional to aerobic.

Two things do not need a permit first. Emergency repairs (tank lids, inlet and outlet devices, risers, disinfection devices, solid lines) can be done right away, but the permitting authority must get written notice within 72 hours (30 TAC 285.35). Routine maintenance such as replacing pumps or filters is not an alteration (30 TAC 285.2).

How the septic permit process works

For a standard single family system, the steps under 30 TAC 285.3 look like this:

1. Site evaluation. A TCEQ licensed site evaluator or professional engineer surveys the lot and analyzes the soil where the drain field would go (30 TAC 285.30).
2. Planning materials. The owner or installer can prepare plans for a standard system. Non-standard systems need a professional engineer or professional sanitarian (30 TAC 285.5).
3. Application and fee. You or your installer submit the application, planning materials, site evaluation and fee (30 TAC 285.3(b)). Harrison County notes that most licensed installers handle this step for the homeowner.
4. Review. The permitting authority approves or denies within 30 days. A denial must be explained in writing, and you can appeal to its supervisory body, such as the Commissioners Court.
5. Authorization to construct. It is valid for one calendar year (30 TAC 285.3(d)(1)).
6. Construction inspection. The installer gives at least five working days’ notice before the system is ready, and it is inspected before it is covered.
7. Notice of approval. Issued within seven calendar days after the system passes.

Aerobic systems add paperwork: an affidavit recorded in the county deed records and a signed two-year service policy (30 TAC 285.3(b)(3) and 285.7(c)). The Texas aerobic rules page covers the two-year service policy.

The aerobic maintenance contract guide covers what happens after those two years.

Published county permit fees run from $350 (Gregg single family) to $400 (Van Zandt residential). For total project cost, the installation cost guide has national ranges. If your site evaluation is done and you need an installer, request a call back and we’ll get it handled.

What is the 10 acre rule in Texas?

The 10 acre rule is a state exemption that lets a single home on a tract of ten acres or more skip the permit, planning materials and inspections. It is in 30 TAC 285.3(f)(2), backed by Health and Safety Code 366.052. It applies only if:

• the system serves a single family dwelling on a tract of ten acres or larger
• that dwelling is the only dwelling on the tract
• every part of the system is at least 100 feet from the property line
• the effluent is disposed of on the property
• the system is not causing a nuisance or polluting groundwater
• the system still meets all of the Subchapter D planning, construction and installation standards

What the 10 acre rule does not exempt

The rule removes the paperwork, not the standards. TCEQ’s permits page says the property still needs a site evaluation by a licensed site evaluator or professional engineer. A second house or mobile home on the tract ends the exemption; Harrison County warns that a second home makes the property multifamily and a permit is then required.

It also does not override stricter local rules. The OSSF orders posted by Gregg County and Van Zandt County each require “an application, permit, and inspection” for construction, alteration, extension or repair “regardless of the size of the tract of land.” So in Gregg and Van Zandt counties, ten acres gets you nothing. Harrison County and the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District (Upshur) describe the rule as available with conditions. Smith County’s OSSF page describes the exemption as available under 285.3. For Rusk, Wood and Cherokee, ask the county office before you rely on it.

Why a permit record can still be worth having

A system built under the exemption leaves no permit file behind, and permits normally transfer to a new owner automatically at sale (30 TAC 285.3(a)(3)). A buyer, a lender or a septic inspection at resale may ask how the system was approved. Keep the site evaluation, design and installer records, and ask your county whether it will permit the system anyway.

Licensed septic professionals in Texas

Anyone paid to build, repair or maintain a septic system must hold a TCEQ license or registration (Health and Safety Code 366.071). The roles:

Role	What they do	Rule
Installer (I or II)	Builds the system. Installer II can build all types.	30 TAC 285.50, 285.61
Site evaluator	Soil analysis and site survey before design. A professional engineer may do this without the license.	30 TAC 285.2, 285.50
Maintenance provider	Maintains systems under contract, mainly aerobic units, and files the reports	30 TAC 285.7, 285.64
Designated representative	Reviews applications and inspects for the authorized agent	30 TAC 285.2, 285.50

An installer must put the license number on bids, contracts and invoices, and may start only after seeing the authorization to construct (30 TAC 285.61). Check any license on TCEQ’s licensing search, which includes OSSF installer, site evaluator, maintenance provider and designated representative licenses.

Homeowners can install their own system in some cases. TCEQ allows it for a single family dwelling you own, on property you own, with no part developed for sale or lease, unless your local authority says otherwise. Anyone who helps for pay must be a licensed installer, except a licensed electrician or the person setting the tank. Van Zandt County’s order requires a TCEQ licensed installer for all construction. The septic installation page covers hiring one.

Unpermitted septic systems and selling a home

An older system with no permit is not automatically illegal. It is “grandfathered” under 30 TAC 285.3(f)(1) if it was installed before September 1, 1989 (or before an earlier local program began), has not been altered, is not in need of repair, and is not creating a nuisance. Once it needs a new tank or drain field, the grandfathering ends and the repair needs a permit.

When you sell, Texas Property Code 5.008 requires a seller’s disclosure notice on a single dwelling home. The form asks whether the home has a septic system, whether it has known defects, and whether any alterations or repairs were made without necessary permits. Pull any permit, notice of approval or maintenance records before you list.

Sources

• Smith County, On-Site Sewage Facility page, naming RTS Environmental LLC as the county’s OSSF contractor and its half-acre minimum lot size
• TCEQ, Getting a Permit for an OSSF
• TCEQ, authorized agent search by county
• TCEQ, historical OSSF permitting data
• TCEQ, license and registration search
• Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 366
• 30 TAC Chapter 285 on Cornell LII: 285.2, 285.3, 285.5, 285.7, 285.35, 285.50, 285.61
• Texas Property Code, Chapter 5 (Section 5.008)
• Gregg County, septic systems page, including its permit checklist and OSSF order
• Harrison County, Environmental Health, including its permitting process sheet
• Rusk County, septic inspection page
• Northeast Texas Municipal Water District, onsite septic program and its OSSF FAQ
• Van Zandt County, Fire Marshal page, including its 2026 fee schedule and OSSF order