How to Check a Septic Company's License in 7 Southern States

Updated 2026-10-27 · VettedSeptic editorial

To check a septic company's license, get the license holder's full name and license number, then look them up with your state's septic licensing agency. Each of the seven states we cover has a public search or list. The table below shows the agency, who needs a license and where to look.

Where to look up a septic license

State	Agency	Who must be licensed	Where to look it up
Alabama	Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board	Installers, pumpers, portable toilet operators and septic tank makers	Board roster search
Florida	Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)	Septic tank contractors (registered or master)	"Search for a Contractor" on DEP's registration page
Georgia	Department of Public Health (DPH)	Installer and pumper companies, and their contractors	DPH certified lists (PDF)
North Carolina	On-Site Wastewater Contractors and Inspectors Certification Board; Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)	Installers and inspectors (board); pumping firms (DEQ permit)	Board certification lists; DEQ septage page
South Carolina	Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), formerly part of DHEC	Installers (Tier 1, 2 or 3) and pumpers	"Find a Septic Contractor" on SCDES's septic page
Tennessee	Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC)	Installers and pumpers (state permits)	TDEC installer and pumper search
Texas	Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)	Installers, maintenance providers and site evaluators; septage haulers register as sludge transporters	"Individual Search" on TCEQ's septic licensing page

Rules and agency names change, and this is not legal advice. Before you hire, confirm details with your state's agency using the links in the table.

First, find out whose license it is

A company name on a truck is not a license. In Alabama, licenses are held by individual people, not companies. The Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board says that at a company doing this work, "only one person who is in responsible charge of the company must be licensed." Ask for that person's name, license number and license type.

Other states differ. Georgia certifies both companies and their contractors. Florida registers contractors, and some septic businesses also need a certificate of authorization, depending on how they are set up.

A claim on a website is a start, not proof. Of the 79 septic company websites we've read so far (October 2026), 53 say they are licensed and 41 say they are insured. Far fewer show an actual license number: in our first pass looking for one, 2 of 28 sites did.

State-by-state notes

Alabama

The Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board licenses Basic, Advanced Level 1 and Advanced Level 2 installers, pumpers, portable toilet operators and septic tank manufacturers. Its public roster search shows each holder's name, license number, type, issued date, base county and service counties.
On Oct 26, 2026, the roster listed 1,598 license records: 604 Basic, 504 Pumper, 323 Advanced Level 1 Installer, 92 Advanced Level 2 Installer, 47 Manufacturer and 28 Portable Toilet. That day, 66 of the Pumper licenses listed Jefferson County (Birmingham) among their service counties. See our Birmingham septic listings.
Permits: State law requires a permit from the local health department to install a new system or repair an existing one. In Jefferson County, the county health department issues permits and gives a Certificate of Competency to people who install, maintain and repair onsite systems.

Florida

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) took over the onsite sewage program from the Department of Health on July 1, 2021. State law says no one may hold themselves out as a septic tank contractor or master septic tank contractor unless registered.
To check a contractor, use "Search for a Contractor" on DEP's Septic Tank Contractor Registration page. DEP says it is updated daily, and it runs on the Department of Health's website.
Permits: DEP issues permits in 16 Panhandle counties (Escambia east to Jefferson) and Marion County. In most other counties, including Duval (Jacksonville), the Department of Health's local county health department issues them.

Georgia

The Department of Public Health (DPH) certifies septic installers, pumpers and portable sanitation companies. Each company must employ at least one certified contractor, and contractors must work for a certified company in good standing. Pumper companies also need a current County Septage Removal Permit.
DPH's Certification/Registration Information page has PDF lists of certified installer companies and approved pumper companies, sorted by county of business location. Certified companies can work anywhere in Georgia.
Permits: Handled through the county board of health, under DPH rules.

North Carolina

State law says no one may construct, install or repair a permitted on-site wastewater system without being certified as a contractor at the required level. The certification board issues these certifications.
Installers hold Grade Level II or Grade Level IV, and the level sets which systems they may install. Point-of-sale inspectors, who inspect systems for real estate sales, have no levels.
The board's certification lists are PDFs sorted by last name or by county. They show each holder's company, level, certificate number, city and phone.
Pumping companies ("septage management firms") need a permit from DEQ's Division of Waste Management before operating. DEQ's septage page links to "Find a Permitted Firm."
Permits: The local health department issues the Improvement Permit and Construction Authorization needed before most installs and repairs. Engineered-option and Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluator permits are exceptions.

South Carolina

DHEC split into two agencies on July 1, 2024. Septic licensing is now with the Department of Environmental Services (SCDES).
SCDES licenses installers to construct systems (Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3) and pumpers to clean them. A license can't be transferred to another person or firm.
SCDES points homeowners to "Find a Septic Contractor" on its septic page to find a licensed installer. To confirm a pumper, contact SCDES through its licensing page.
Permits: For a new system, apply through the SCDES ePermitting portal. An approved Permit to Construct is valid for five years, and the installer must schedule a final inspection with SCDES before covering the system.

Tennessee

The Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) requires a valid permit for installers (people who build, install, alter, extend or repair septic systems) and pumpers (people who pump domestic septage).
TDEC's Licensed Installers & Pumpers page links to a DataViewer search you can narrow by county. Installer permits are valid statewide.
Nine contract counties (Blount, Davidson, Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, Madison, Sevier, Shelby and Williamson) have their own septic system services and may require an additional permit. Hamilton County includes Chattanooga.
Permits: You need a Septic System Construction Permit to install a new system or repair a faulty one. Applications go to TDEC at the right Environmental Field Office.

Texas

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) licenses Installer I (standard systems such as septic tanks and drainfields), Installer II (all system types), maintenance providers for aerobic systems, and site evaluators. To check a person, use "Individual Search," linked from TCEQ's septic licensing page.
Pumpers who haul septic tank waste must register as sludge transporters. TCEQ's Sludge Transporter Query page explains how to find them in its Central Registry by choosing "SLUDGE" as the program. Transporter numbers have five digits and start with 2.
Permits: A permit is required to build, install, alter, extend or repair a septic system. A local government approved by TCEQ (an authorized agent) usually issues it. TCEQ's regional office does so only where no local agent has been authorized.

Permits: the other half of the check

A license covers the person. A permit covers the job. In all seven states, septic permits come from a state agency or a local government office, such as a county health department. The Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas sources say repairs need a permit too.

Checklist before you hire

Get the license holder's full name, license or certificate number and license type in writing.
Look them up using the table above, and make sure the name and type match.
Match the license to the job. Pumping, standard installs and advanced systems can need different licenses or levels.
In a Tennessee contract county, ask whether the county requires its own permit.
For a new system or a repair, ask who is getting the permit, and keep a copy with your house records.
Ask for a certificate of insurance. A website that says "insured" is not the same thing.
If anything doesn't match, call the agency before work starts.

Keep up with maintenance

The EPA, which runs the SepticSmart homeowner program, says the average household septic system should be inspected at least every three years by a septic service professional. Household tanks are typically pumped every three to five years, and Georgia's health department notes the timing can vary with household use. Run the same license check when you book a pump-out. Read more about septic tank pumping.

How our listings handle licenses

We've started matching the license numbers companies show on their websites against state records, beginning with Alabama's roster. A listing that matches on the number, the business name and the service county says "Checked: license" and links the board's record. Most listings haven't been checked yet and show only what the business's own website says, so check the license yourself with the links above. Read how we list companies.