Septic System Regulations in Georgia

In Georgia, onsite wastewater (septic) systems are regulated by Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Environmental Health Section, which sets the statewide code, and permits are issued and inspections carried out by county or local health jurisdictions. 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 Georgia

The state-level regulator is Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Environmental Health Section (official program page). DPH's Environmental Health Section sets statewide rules (Chapter 511-3-1) and publishes the technical Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems, but county boards of health (organized into 18 public health districts) issue on-site sewage management system permits, perform soil evaluations/inspections, and enforce the rules locally.

The statewide onsite-wastewater code is cited as Georgia Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 511-3-1 (On-Site Sewage Management Systems). 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 Georgia; 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 Georgia

Septic records in Georgia 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 Georgia yet; check with the county office listed on its records page below, or with Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Environmental Health Section.

Counties in Georgia we hold records for

We hold 910 septic records across 60 of 159 Georgia counties. Each county page below shows exactly where its records are kept and how many we hold.

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

Common questions

Who regulates septic systems in Georgia?

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Environmental Health Section. DPH's Environmental Health Section sets statewide rules (Chapter 511-3-1) and publishes the technical Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems, but county boards of health (organized into 18 public health districts) issue on-site sewage management system permits, perform soil evaluations/inspections, and enforce the rules locally.

What is the septic permit process in Georgia?

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 Georgia?

DPH-certified On-Site Sewage Management System Installer (certified per county/district under DPH's Environmental Health certification program). List/info: https://dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health/certification-information

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

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

Sources

• https://dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health/onsite-sewage
• https://dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health/certification-information
• https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/511-3-1
• https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/soil-classifiers/download

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.