State guide
Alabama
Alabama’s onsite sewage program is coordinated by the Alabama Department of Public Health through county health departments, while installer licensing is handled separately by the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board. Residents typically hire a registered soils professional or other registered professional for the site work, then file the permit application with the local county health department before installation.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Who regulates septic permits
- The Alabama Department of Public Health administers the onsite sewage program through county health departments, and county health departments issue installation and repair permits.
- Who can do the soil or perc test
- ADPH rules say percolation tests may be performed and certified by an engineer, land surveyor, geologist, or soil classifier; county pages also direct residents to registered soils professionals and, for restricted sites, registered engineers.
- Official septic permit page
- Official page →
- State fee
- Not published by an official source we could verify. Ask the office.
Official resources in Alabama
State program page explaining that ADPH coordinates the onsite sewage program through county health departments.
Official application and site-evaluation forms, including the permit-to-install form and site evaluation form.
Explains when to apply for a permit and that applications go to the local county health department.
Official board page for licensing installers, pumpers, manufacturers, and related onsite wastewater trades.
Use the board’s roster search from this page to verify licensed installers and other licensees.
Key facts for Alabama
- ADPH says the Soil and Onsite Sewage Branch coordinates the onsite sewage program in county health departments.
- Before construction, the owner must submit an application for a Permit to Install to the local county health department.
- ADPH’s forms page includes CEP-2 permit applications and CEP-2/3 Part C site evaluation forms.
- ADPH rules say percolation testing, when used, must be performed and certified by an engineer, land surveyor, geologist, or soil classifier.
- ADPH rules say the soil morphology method must be performed and certified by a soil classifier or an ADPH-employed PHESS.
- AOWB licenses people who manufacture, install, service, clean, repair, or maintain onsite wastewater systems in Alabama.
County septic and soil-evaluation offices in Alabama
| County office | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin County Health Department Environmental and Vital Statistics Baldwin | Robertsdale | 251-947-3618 | Handles septic tank requests through the Environmental Office; Baldwin’s sewage page says residents should have testing performed by a registered soils professional. |
| Lowndes County Health Department Lowndes | Hayneville | 334-548-2564 | County services page lists onsite sewage applications and permits, large flow permits, repairs, tank replacement, and septic tank pumper permits. |
| Montgomery County Health Department Environmental Montgomery | Montgomery | 334-293-6452 | County sewage page says the Environmental Division reviews soil test results, issues Permit to Install approvals, and provides Approval for Use after inspection. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Hire the site professional early so test-hole markers and the plot plan are ready before the county review.
- File the permit application with the county health department before any septic work starts.
- Verify your installer through the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board roster before signing a contract.
Not seeing your county office or county?
Not every county office publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Alabama's population center, for comparison only):
- Cherokee County Environmental Health, Georgia · about 155 miles
- Pickens County Environmental Health, Georgia · about 163 miles
- Hamilton County Groundwater Department, Tennessee · about 165 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.ADPH Soil and Onsite Sewage
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Alabama local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Alabama page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.