State guide
Kentucky
Kentucky runs its onsite sewage program through local health departments rather than a state environmental permitting office for routine home systems. The state program says local health department septic inspectors perform site evaluations and inspections, and installation is then done by a certified Kentucky onsite septic installer.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Who regulates septic permits
- Kentucky's onsite sewage program is administered through local and district health departments under the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Public Health.
- Who can do the soil or perc test
- The state program says local health department onsite septic system inspectors perform site evaluations and inspections, while certified Kentucky onsite septic installers perform the installation; state law also recognizes applications accompanied by site evaluation or system design from a licensed professional engineer in private practice.
- Official septic permit page
- Official page →
- State fee
- $30(+local)
Official resources in Kentucky
State program page explaining that local health departments administer onsite sewage permitting, site evaluations, and inspections.
State regulation page for Kentucky onsite sewage disposal systems and official site-evaluation requirements.
Official statewide directory residents can use to find the correct local or district health department.
Example local program page with application materials, site-evaluation details, and local fees.
Example district program page with sewage applications, existing-system inspection information, and environmental fee schedule links.
Key facts for Kentucky
- Kentucky CHFS says the onsite sewage program is administered through local health departments.
- Kentucky CHFS says local health department onsite septic system inspectors perform site evaluations and inspections.
- Kentucky CHFS says a certified Kentucky onsite septic installer must install the system based on the site-evaluation results.
- Kentucky regulation 902 KAR 10:085 requires an official site evaluation form classifying each factor during site review.
- Kentucky's state environmental fee schedule lists Onsite Sewage permit fees as $30(+local).
- Mercer County says environmental staff conduct site evaluations, provide installation assistance, and perform final inspections.
County septic and soil-evaluation offices in Kentucky
| County office | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County Health Department - Onsite Sewage Mercer | Harrodsburg | (859) 734-2229 | Handles site evaluations, technical assistance during installation, and final inspection of completed subsurface sewage disposal systems. |
| Barren River District Health Department - Onsite Sewage Program Barren, Hart, Metcalfe | Not published* | 270-432-3214 ext. 483 | Program page says to contact onsite sewage staff for soil evaluations or permits in Barren, Hart, and Metcalfe Counties. |
| Lake Cumberland District Health Department - New Home On-Site Sewage Disposal Pulaski | Somerset | Not published* | District guide for new-home onsite sewage permitting and plumbing-release steps. |
| Wayne County Health Department - Lake Cumberland District Wayne | Monticello | (606) 348-9349 | County health department page includes environmental services access within the Lake Cumberland district. |
| Lincoln Trail District Health Department - On-Site Sewage Hardin, LaRue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, Washington | Elizabethtown | Not published* | District environmental office provides inspections and permitting for onsite sewage disposal systems in its six-county service area. |
| Northern Kentucky Health Department - Septic Systems Boone, Campbell, Grant, Kenton | Not published* | Not published* | Explains that the owner or agent submits a site-evaluation application and, if suitable, the certified installer then applies for the installation permit. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Contact the local or district health department first and ask for the site-evaluation application before paying an installer.
- Plan for the local inspector's site evaluation and any requested backhoe pits, because Kentucky local health departments use that evaluation to determine system suitability.
- After the site evaluation, use a certified Kentucky onsite septic installer unless you qualify for a homeowner permit through the local health department.
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 Kentucky's population center, for comparison only):
- Washington County Health Department — Septic Systems, Indiana · about 70 miles
- Brown County Health Department — Septic & Waste Water, Indiana · about 108 miles
- Monroe County Health Department — Soil Analysis, Indiana · about 115 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Kentucky CHFS - Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems Program
Website →Phone: (502) 564-4856 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Kentucky page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.