Septic recordsState rules

Septic System Regulations in Indiana

In Indiana, onsite wastewater (septic) systems are regulated by Indiana Department of Health (IDOH), Environmental Public Health Division, Onsite Sewage Systems Program, 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.

92
counties
66
with records we hold
1,653
records held statewide

Who regulates septic systems in Indiana

The state-level regulator is Indiana Department of Health (IDOH), Environmental Public Health Division, Onsite Sewage Systems Program (official program page). IDOH sets statewide standards, but the rule is administered by local boards of health through their local health officer/local health department, which issue permits (over 15,000 new-system permits and about 6,000 repair permits per year statewide) and may adopt more stringent local ordinances.

The statewide onsite-wastewater code is cited as 410 IAC 6-8.3 ("Residential Onsite Sewage Systems"); commercial systems under 410 IAC 6-10.1. 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 Indiana; 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

DesignGeneral residential system design does not require a specific state-issued design license under the reviewed material, but plans for facilities like RV parks and youth camps must be prepared by a licensed engineer or architect; soil evaluations for system design are performed by Registered Soil Scientists via the Indiana Registry of Soil Scientists (administered by Purdue University's Office of Indiana State Chemist).

Getting septic records in Indiana

Septic records in Indiana 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 Indiana yet; check with the county office listed on its records page below, or with Indiana Department of Health (IDOH), Environmental Public Health Division, Onsite Sewage Systems Program.

Counties in Indiana we hold records for

We hold 1,653 septic records across 66 of 92 Indiana counties. Each county page below shows exactly where its records are kept and how many we hold.

CountyRecords held
Rush168
Miami142
Huntington137
Blackford125
Ohio113
Shelby76
Daviess71
Dearborn65
Morgan58
Delaware54
LaGrange48
Warrick34
Boone33
Porter32
DeKalb30
Wayne28
Hendricks26
Wells24
Parke23
Floyd21
Lawrence21
Ripley20
Perry19
Decatur18
Cass16
Johnson15
Harrison14
Gibson14
Kosciusko14
Greene14
Fayette14
St. Joseph13
Grant12
Clark12
Madison10
Posey9
Whitley9
Clinton8
Wabash8
Noble7
Bartholomew7
Newton7
Jasper7
Henry7
Jay5
Montgomery5
Marshall5
Union4
Franklin4
Fountain4
Vigo3
Steuben3
Vermillion2
Orange2
Hancock2
Brown1
Tipton1
Spencer1
Pike1
Jackson1
Vanderburgh1
Pulaski1
Putnam1
Benton1
Marion1
White1

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

Common questions

Who regulates septic systems in Indiana?

Indiana Department of Health (IDOH), Environmental Public Health Division, Onsite Sewage Systems Program. IDOH sets statewide standards, but the rule is administered by local boards of health through their local health officer/local health department, which issue permits (over 15,000 new-system permits and about 6,000 repair permits per year statewide) and may adopt more stringent local ordinances.

What is the septic permit process in Indiana?

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 Indiana?

Check with Indiana Department of Health (IDOH), Environmental Public Health Division, Onsite Sewage Systems Program, which administers licensing for onsite wastewater installers here.

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

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

Sources

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.