We have not verified a statewide law in Oregon requiring a septic inspection at the time a property transfers. That does not mean no requirement applies where you're buying: county and municipal time-of-transfer ordinances exist in various places around the country outside the states with a statewide law. Check the county page below, and ask the local health department directly — that is the authoritative source for a local ordinance, and this page is not.
No statewide Oregon law requiring septic inspection at time of transfer. Three states do have a real, verified one — Massachusetts, Iowa, and a waterfront-only law in New Hampshire — for comparison; Oregon is not one of them, at least not at the state level. A county or municipality in Oregon could still have its own ordinance we have not audited; the local health department for the specific county is the authoritative source.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Onsite Wastewater Management Program. See the full Oregon septic regulation page for the permit sequence and licensing.
Wherever you're transacting in Oregon, the septic permit or as-built (where one exists) is almost always held by the county or district health office, not the state. How to find septic records before closing covers how to pull it; below is the county-by-county index of what we hold for Oregon.
| County | Records held |
|---|---|
| Jackson | 29,870 |
| Deschutes | 19,455 |
| Clackamas | 10,784 |
| Multnomah | 5,457 |
| Josephine | 3,894 |
| Union | 3,048 |
| Baker | 2,568 |
| Wallowa | 1,939 |
| Curry | 1,031 |
| Marion | 940 |
| Lane | 772 |
| Linn | 455 |
| Columbia | 413 |
| Clatsop | 368 |
| Yamhill | 285 |
| Crook | 262 |
| Klamath | 189 |
| Lincoln | 165 |
| Polk | 137 |
| Tillamook | 130 |
| Benton | 123 |
| Douglas | 122 |
| Wasco | 55 |
| Grant | 6 |
| Coos | 3 |
Full Oregon county index · Oregon regulations · Oregon septic companies · Open the parcel map
We have not verified a statewide law requiring one in Oregon. A county or municipal ordinance could still apply; check with the local health department where the property is located.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Onsite Wastewater Management Program
At the county or district health office that issued the permit, in almost every case. See the county-by-county index on this page for Oregon, and our general guide to finding records before closing.
Reviewed 2026-08-31 against the official sources linked above (where a source is cited) or, where none is cited, left deliberately general. Laws, lender overlays and local ordinances change; confirm current requirements with the county or state agency, your lender, and a licensed inspector before you rely on this for a closing.