Septic System Regulations in California

In California, onsite wastewater (septic) systems are regulated by State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality (statewide OWTS Policy authority); permits issued by county Environmental Health Departments under Local Agency Management Programs (LAMPs), which sets the statewide code; some counties are delegated to issue permits and inspect locally, others are handled directly by the state agency. Installing, replacing or repairing a septic system here means, in sequence: a site and soil evaluation, a design, a permit application, an inspection while the system is open, and a final as-built record once it is approved.

Who regulates septic systems in California

The state-level regulator is State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality (statewide OWTS Policy authority); permits issued by county Environmental Health Departments under Local Agency Management Programs (LAMPs) (official program page). The State Water Resources Control Board adopted a statewide risk-based, tiered policy (the OWTS Policy, effective 2013) setting minimum standards, but the policy designates local agencies (county environmental health departments) as the actual permitting authority. Under Tier 1, counties without an approved local program follow the Water Board's default statewide standards; under Tier 2 a county can have a Local Agency Management Program (LAMP) approved by its Regional Water Quality Control Board and apply its own standards. Permitting is always local, while the state either supplies the default rules or approves the county's custom rules.

The statewide onsite-wastewater code is cited as California Water Code sections 13290-13291.7 (added by AB 885, Stats. 2000, ch. 781), which directed the State Water Board to adopt the OWTS Policy. We link the agency's own page above rather than restating specific numeric requirements from it, since those change by rule revision and by local amendment.

The permit sequence

The order of operations is broadly consistent across the country, even though the specific numbers in each step vary by state and often by county. None of the figures below are specific to California; treat this as the shape of the process, and get the actual numbers from the agency linked above or from the county office.

1. Site and soil evaluation. A qualified evaluator (see licensing below) digs test pits or runs a percolation test, and records the soil profile, depth to seasonal water table, depth to any restrictive layer, and slope. This determines whether the lot can support a conventional system or needs an alternative design.
2. Design. Under most state codes, daily design flow is set from bedroom count, not square footage. That flow drives tank capacity, and the soil evaluation sets the drainfield application rate and therefore its size. The designer also lays out setbacks to wells, property lines, surface water, foundations and a reserve/replacement area.
3. Permit application. Submitted to whichever office issues permits here (state agency or county/district health office, per the delegation model above), along with the design and soil work.
4. Installation and open inspection. The installer builds the system, and it is inspected before backfill while it is still open to view.
5. As-built and approval. A final drawing of what was actually built is filed once the system is approved. That as-built is the document a future owner, pumper or inspector needs, and it is what ends up in the county record.

Who can design and install a septic system

Getting septic records in California

Septic records in California are generally held by the county or local health jurisdiction that issued the permit, not by the state agency, and are released under the state's public records law. We have not logged the specific statute name and response deadline for California yet; check with the county office listed on its records page below, or with State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality (statewide OWTS Policy authority); permits issued by county Environmental Health Departments under Local Agency Management Programs (LAMPs).

Counties in California we hold records for

We hold 19,652 septic records across 30 of 58 California counties. Each county page below shows exactly where its records are kept and how many we hold.

Full California county-by-county index · Open the parcel map

Common questions

Who regulates septic systems in California?

State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality (statewide OWTS Policy authority); permits issued by county Environmental Health Departments under Local Agency Management Programs (LAMPs). The State Water Resources Control Board adopted a statewide risk-based, tiered policy (the OWTS Policy, effective 2013) setting minimum standards, but the policy designates local agencies (county environmental health departments) as the actual permitting authority. Under Tier 1, counties without an approved local program follow the Water Board's default statewide standards; under Tier 2 a county can have a Local Agency Management Program (LAMP) approved by its Regional Water Quality Control Board and apply its own standards. Permitting is always local, while the state either supplies the default rules or approves the county's custom rules.

What is the septic permit process in California?

The sequence is a site and soil evaluation, a design sized from the evaluation and (under most state codes) bedroom count, a permit application, an inspection before backfill, and a final as-built filed once the system is approved. Exact numeric requirements are set by the agency's own code, not restated here.

Who can install a septic system in California?

C-42 Sanitation System Contractor license, issued by the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB), authorizing installation of septic tanks, cesspools, and related sewage disposal structures. https://www.cslb.ca.gov/about_us/library/licensing_classifications/C-42_-_Sanitation_Systems.aspx

How do I get septic records for a property in California?

Septic records are generally held by the county or district health office that issued the permit. See our county-by-county California index for the specific office and portal in each county.

Sources

• https://water.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/owts/owts_policy.html
• https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/owts/factsheets.html
• https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/owts/docs/adopted_owts_policy.pdf
• https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DRSEM/Pages/EMB/REHS/REHS.aspx
• https://www.cslb.ca.gov/about_us/library/licensing_classifications/C-42_-_Sanitation_Systems.aspx

Regulatory information on this page was researched against official state agency sources and last verified 2026-08-31. It is informational only: the agency linked above is authoritative, and requirements can change. We are not lawyers, not a government body, and not affiliated with, licensed or certified by any agency named on this page.