Septic System Regulations in North Dakota

In North Dakota, onsite wastewater (septic) systems are regulated by North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ), Water Quality Division, 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 North Dakota

The state-level regulator is North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ), Water Quality Division (official program page). Following 2025 Senate Bill 2267, NDDEQ was given full authority over licensing, permitting, and inspection of onsite wastewater systems statewide, and it licenses installers directly (no cost). In practice, installers must also secure a permit from their local public health unit before beginning work, so local public health units retain a permitting role alongside the state licensing authority.

The statewide onsite-wastewater code is cited as North Dakota Century Code 23.1-07.1 (statutory authority); North Dakota Administrative Code Title 33.1, Article 33.1-21 (Cesspools, Septic Tanks, Privies). 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 North Dakota; 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 North Dakota

Septic records in North Dakota 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 North Dakota yet; check with the county office listed on its records page below, or with North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ), Water Quality Division.

Counties in North Dakota we hold records for

We hold 430 septic records across 19 of 53 North Dakota counties. Each county page below shows exactly where its records are kept and how many we hold.

Full North Dakota county-by-county index · Open the parcel map

Common questions

Who regulates septic systems in North Dakota?

North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ), Water Quality Division. Following 2025 Senate Bill 2267, NDDEQ was given full authority over licensing, permitting, and inspection of onsite wastewater systems statewide, and it licenses installers directly (no cost). In practice, installers must also secure a permit from their local public health unit before beginning work, so local public health units retain a permitting role alongside the state licensing authority.

What is the septic permit process in North Dakota?

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 North Dakota?

Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Installer License, issued by NDDEQ (no fee); a license is not required for a person installing a system on their own property for personal use. Agricultural/commercial or more complex systems may require an engineered design stamped by a licensed Professional Engineer.

How do I get septic records for a property in North Dakota?

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

Sources

• https://deq.nd.gov/wq/2_NDPDES_Permits/7_SepticSystems/Septic.aspx
• https://ndlegis.gov/information/acdata/html/Title33.1.html
• https://deq.nd.gov/publications/WQ/3_WM/NDWaterArticles/2025-08-OnSiteWastewaterTreatmentSystems.pdf

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.