Septic Permits
Colorado septic permit rules by county
Septic permitting on the Front Range is handled county by county. Pick your county for the permit requirements, inspection triggers, transfer of title rules, and who to contact.
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Septic permit A septic permit is the county authorization to install, repair, alter, or in some cases transfer an onsite wastewater treatment system. Colorado counties administer these permits locally, each with its own forms, inspections, and fees.
The county that holds the permit record is the only authority that can tell you what your property needs, which is why the rules differ across the Front Range.
How septic permitting works in Colorado
Permits are county work
Colorado regulates onsite wastewater treatment systems at the county level, so the rules change when you cross a county line.
Sales trigger inspections
Most Front Range counties require an inspection and county acceptance before a property on septic changes hands.
We file for you
We pump, inspect, complete the county records, and send copies to you, your agent, and the health department.
Choose your county
- Jefferson CountyPermits, inspections, and transfer rules
- Douglas CountyPermits, inspections, and transfer rules
- Elbert CountyPermits, inspections, and transfer rules
- Adams CountyPermits, inspections, and transfer rules
- Arapahoe CountyPermits, inspections, and transfer rules
- Weld CountyPermits, inspections, and transfer rules
- Park CountyPermits, inspections, and transfer rules
- Clear Creek CountyPermits, inspections, and transfer rules
Not sure which county your property sits in? Check your city page or call 720-427-7557 and we will confirm it.
If your address is a named area rather than a city, start with our communities and named areas directory and it will point you at the county that permits your system.
Colorado counties each write their own onsite wastewater rules, so the requirements below are listed county by county rather than as one statewide answer.
| County | Permit required for | Inspection required at transfer | Responsible department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | New installations, repairs, and expansions of onsite wastewater treatment systems in Jefferson County require an OWTS permit from Jefferson County Public Health before work begins. Applications include a system design, soils information, and a site plan, and complex sites need a Colorado professional engineer. | Jefferson County requires a Use Permit before the sale of a property with a septic system installed more than five years prior to the sale. A county-certified inspector evaluates the system, the tank is typically pumped as part of the inspection, and the permit is generally valid for six months or until the title transfers. Confirm current fees and validity with the county; the filing fee has been about 75 dollars. | Jefferson County Public Health |
| Douglas County | Douglas County requires an OWTS permit for new installations, expansions, and most repairs. A complete application includes the permit fee, a system design, soils information with test pit logs and percolation tests where used, and a site plan. A licensed Colorado professional engineer must design systems on problematic soils, slopes over 20 percent, commercial sites, or pressure distribution. | The seller of a Douglas County property with a septic system is required to obtain a use permit prior to the sale. Plan for a licensed inspection and a tank pump-out ahead of closing, and build the processing time into the contract timeline. | Douglas County Health Department |
| Elbert County | Elbert County requires an OWTS permit for new systems, expansions, and most repairs. Applications include the fee, a system design, soils information, test pit logs, and a site plan. The county updated its OWTS regulation recently, so verify current requirements when applying. | The seller is required to obtain a use permit prior to the sale of a property with a septic system, and a licensed Elbert County inspector must perform the inspection that accompanies the application. Schedule the inspection and pump-out early in the contract period. | Elbert County Public Health |
| Adams County | Adams County requires an OWTS permit for new installations and major repairs, reviewed against the county's Regulation O-26. Applications need a soils report and a system design from a NAWT-certified designer. Replacing only a septic tank does not require a full design. | A use and transfer-of-title permit is required to sell a property with an existing septic system in Adams County in most cases. An inspector certified by NAWT or NSF inspects the system, the tank is typically pumped as part of the inspection, and the application, inspection form, and fee go to the county's environmental health water program. | Adams County Health Department |
| Arapahoe County | Arapahoe County Public Health, which took over the septic program from the former Tri-County Health Department, requires an OWTS permit for new installations, repairs, and expansions. The county runs its own OWTS regulation, updated effective 2026, so verify current application requirements on the county site when applying. Reach the program through the county website and search septic systems. | Arapahoe County runs a dedicated septic transfer-of-title process: before a property with an OWTS sells, the seller obtains a use permit supported by an inspection from a certified inspector, with the tank pumped as part of the process. Start the paperwork when the property lists, not at closing week. | Arapahoe County Public Health |
| Weld County | Weld County requires OWTS applications for new installations, repairs, upgrades, reconnections, and vault installations, for systems with flows under 2,000 gallons per day. Design and construction standards live in Weld County Code Chapter 30. | Weld County does not have a transfer-of-title inspection or use permit program. The county still recommends having the system inspected and the tank cleaned before ownership transfers, and buyers should ask for records, because no county gate will catch a failing system at closing. | Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment |
| Park County | Park County requires an OWTS permit for new installations, repairs, and expansions, with applications reviewed by Environmental Health. Mountain sites at elevation with shallow soils routinely need engineered designs, and processing runs longer during the May to September season. Confirm current contact details through the county site. | Park County requires a transfer-of-title OWTS inspection and permit when most properties with septic systems sell. A NAWT-certified inspector uses the county's approved form covering the tank, soil treatment area, well distances, and maintenance status, and the county typically processes a complete application in 7 to 10 business days, longer in peak season. | Park County Environmental Health |
| Clear Creek County | Clear Creek County requires an OWTS permit for new installations, repairs, and expansions, administered by Environmental Health in Georgetown. Steep canyon lots and shallow mountain soils mean most designs get close county review. | Clear Creek County requires a Use Permit before closing when the septic system is more than five years old or the dwelling is limited occupancy or limited bedroom use. The transfer-of-title inspection is submitted with the pumping receipt and the listing, the fee is 100 dollars, processing runs 5 to 10 business days, and the permit is valid for 12 months or until closing and is not renewable. | Clear Creek County Environmental Health |
Need septic paperwork handled
We pump, inspect, and file the county records. Call 720-427-7557 or request a free quote.