Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-10
Septic permitting in Minnesota is handled at the county level — county health departments approve systems in 77 of 87 counties.Every entry below names the approving authority for that county, cited to the authority’s own page.
Septic rules change and some cities run their own programs — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All states → Minnesota water rights & wells → Full Minnesota profile →
87 counties · county health departments · permit status scouted for 87
Aitkin County Environmental Services (Planning & Zoning)
Aitkin County Septic Systems ↗Anoka County Public Health and Environmental Services Department
Anoka County Sewage Treatment Ordinance #2018-5 ↗Becker County Planning & Zoning (Environmental Services)
Becker County Planning & Zoning - Permits and Forms ↗Beltrami County Environmental Services Department
Septic System Management ↗Benton County Department of Development (Planning & Zoning)
Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems ↗Big Stone County Environmental Services (SSTS program under MN Pollution Control Agency)
Septic Systems ↗Blue Earth County Property and Environmental Resources Department
Septic Systems ↗Brown County Planning & Zoning (SSTS program)
Planning & Zoning Home ↗Carlton County Zoning and Environmental Services
Zoning & Environmental Services ↗Carver County Environmental Services - SSTS
§ 152.035 SSTS Standards ↗Cass County Environmental Services (SSTS program, under MN MPCA rules Ch. 7080-7083)
Septic System (SSTS) Information ↗Chippewa County Land & Resource Management (SSTS program under Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)
Chippewa County MN - Land & Resource Management ↗Chisago County Environmental Services
Septic ↗Clay County Environmental Health (SSTS program under Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)
On-site Septic Systems ↗Clearwater County Office of Environmental Services
Environmental Services - Clearwater County, MN ↗Cook County Land Services (Planning & Zoning)
Permits ↗Cottonwood County Environmental/Soil & Water Office (County Septic Inspector), under MPCA SSTS rules
Ordinances ↗Crow Wing County Land Services (Environmental Services)
Crow Wing County Land Use Ordinance ↗Dakota County Environmental Resources (County Ordinance 113 SSTS, under MPCA Minnesota Rule 7080)
Septic Systems ↗Dodge County Environmental Services Department
Building in Rural Dodge County ↗Douglas County Land and Resource Management
Douglas County Land & Resource Management ↗Faribault County Planning & Zoning / SWCD (SSTS program)
Local septic system programs ↗Fillmore County Zoning / Land Use Office (SSTS program under MPCA Minn. Rules 7080-7083)
Land Use ↗Freeborn County Environmental Services
Sanitary Sewage Treatment System Ordinance ↗Goodhue County Land Use Management - Environmental Health (Septic Division)
Goodhue County - Septic (Environmental Health) ↗Grant County Land Management / Environmental Services
Grant County MN - Ordinances ↗Hennepin County Environmental Health (SSTS Ordinance 19)
Hennepin County - Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems Standards Ordinance ↗Houston County Environmental Services Department
2025 Approved Fee Schedule ↗Hubbard County Environmental Services Department
Environmental Services - Hubbard County, MN ↗Isanti County Zoning Department (Septic Specialist)
Isanti County Zoning Ordinance ↗Itasca County Environmental Services (Subsurface Sewage Treatment System program, under MPCA Ch. 7080)
Itasca County - SSTS Ordinance ↗Jackson County Land Management Office / Environmental Services (SSTS, under MPCA)
Subsurface Sewage Treatment - Jackson County, Minnesota ↗Kanabec County Environmental Services (SSTS, under MPCA)
Kanabec County MN - Septic Regulations & Permitting ↗Kandiyohi County Environmental Services (SSTS program)
Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS) ↗Kittson County (SSTS program) under Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Local septic system programs ↗Koochiching County Environmental Services (SSTS program under Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)
Planning and Zoning Applications ↗Lac qui Parle County Environment Department (Planning & Zoning)
Lac qui Parle County Land Use Ordinance 2023 ↗Lake County Planning & Zoning / Environmental Services (SSTS program)
Lake County Property Owners Resource Guide ↗Lake of the Woods County Land & Water Planning Office (SSTS)
Land & Water – Lake of the Woods County ↗Le Sueur County Environmental Services (SSTS Program)
Septic Program ↗Lincoln County Environmental Office
Local septic system programs ↗Lyon County Planning & Zoning (SSTS program)
Septic Systems | Lyon County, MN ↗Mahnomen County Zoning & Sanitation (SSTS program, under MN Pollution Control Agency)
Zoning & Sanitation ↗Marshall County Environmental Services / Water and Land Office (under MPCA SSTS rules)
Environmental Services ↗Martin County Planning & Zoning (SSTS Program)
Martin County Septic Systems ↗McLeod County Environmental Services (Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems)
SSTS Ordinance ↗Meeker County Land Use Department (SSTS/sewer permits)
Land Use Records ↗Mille Lacs County Environmental Resources (SSTS program)
Septic System Compliance & Permitting ↗Morrison County Land Services (Planning & Zoning)
Septic Systems | Morrison County, MN ↗Mower County Environmental Services (Subsurface Sewage Treatment System program, adopts MN Rules 7080-7083 under MPCA)
Mower County SSTS Ordinance ↗Murray County Environmental Services (Planning & Zoning Division)
Murray County Zoning Ordinance ↗Nicollet County Planning & Zoning (SSTS Program)
Septic Systems ↗Nobles County Environmental Services
Nobles County SSTS Ordinance ↗Norman County Environmental Services Department
normanmn.gov ↗Olmsted County Inspections (SSTS program)
Olmsted County - Building, Well & Septic ↗Otter Tail County Land and Resource Management
Manage Growth for Orderly Development ↗Pennington County (SSTS program under MPCA)
Local septic system programs ↗Pine County Planning & Zoning / Land Services Department
Septic Systems ↗Pipestone County Environmental Services (Conservation & Zoning)
Pipestone County Environmental Services ↗Polk County Environmental Services (Subsurface Sewage Treatment System program, under MPCA Ch. 7080)
2025 Polk County Zoning Ordinance ↗Pope County Land & Resource Management
Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS) - Pope County, Minnesota ↗Ramsey County Public Health - Environmental Health
Ramsey County Public Health - Environmental Health ↗Red Lake County Environmental Services (SSTS under the Red Lake County Septic Ordinance / MPCA)
Individual Septic Treatment System Permit ↗Redwood County Environmental Office
Redwood County Environmental Office ↗Renville County Environmental Services
Renville County Land Use Ordinance, Chapter Four — Sewage and Wastewater Treatment Regulations ↗Rice County Environmental Health
Environmental Health ↗Rock County Planning & Zoning / Land Management Office (SSTS program)
Rock County SSTS (Septic) Ordinance ↗Roseau County Environmental Services (under Minnesota MPCA Ch. 7080/7081)
Minnesota Rules 7082.0040: Regulatory Administration Responsibility ↗Scott County Environmental Services (SSTS program)
Septic Systems ↗Sherburne County Planning & Zoning Department (SSTS under MN Rules 7080-7083 / MPCA)
Septic Systems ↗Sibley County Zoning Department (SSTS program under Ordinance Article 300 and Minnesota MPCA rules)
Septic (SSTS) | Sibley County, MN ↗St. Louis County Planning & Zoning - Onsite Wastewater Division
Onsite Wastewater (Septic Systems) ↗Stearns County Environmental Services
stearnscountymn.gov ↗Steele County Environmental Services / Planning and Zoning (SSTS)
Steele County Planning and Zoning Permits - Septic ↗Stevens County Environmental Services (SSTS, under MPCA)
Stevens County Minnesota - Septic Systems ↗Swift County Environmental Services
Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems Management Ordinance, 2014 ↗Todd County Planning & Zoning (SSTS program, under MPCA)
Septic Systems (SSTS) Information ↗Traverse County SSTS program (administered through Traverse Soil & Water Conservation District, under MN Pollution Control Agency)
Traverse County Land Use Ordinance ↗Wabasha County Planning & Zoning - Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS) Program
Wells & Septic - Wabasha County ↗Wadena County Planning & Zoning Department
Planning & Zoning ↗Waseca County Planning & Zoning Department
Planning & Zoning ↗Washington County Department of Public Health and Environment
Chapter Four — Subsurface Sewage Treatment Regulations ↗Watonwan County Land Management Department
Watonwan County SSTS Ordinance ↗Wilkin County Environmental Office
Zoning & Permits ↗Winona County Planning & Environmental Services
Septic Systems ↗Wright County Environmental Health Office (Planning & Zoning; under MPCA)
Wright County Code 155.090 - Sewage & Wastewater Treatment Standards ↗Yellow Medicine County Land and Resource Management Office
Section XIV - Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems Ordinance ↗Every county here has a full profile — its index score, water, land prices, and the rest of its building rules. See the Minnesota state page for all counties ranked, or the national septic guide.
Off-grid gear
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General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.