Building permits, zoning and land rules in Dearborn County, Indiana

At a glance

Building permit

Required for residences, commercial buildings, and most other construction¹

Zoning

Yes, countywide Zoning Ordinance³

Septic authority

Dearborn County Health Department, Environmental Health Division⁵

Driveway permit fee

$25, from the Highway Department⁶

Owner-builder exemption

Not confirmed on county pages; ask the Building Department⁷

Well permit

Depends on the local health department; not published for Dearborn County specifically⁸

Septic soils

Only about 0.5% rated free of severe limits for a standard drain field⁹

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 29, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Dearborn County, Indiana?

Yes: the Dearborn County Building Department administers codes and issues building permits, including through an online application, for construction in the county¹¹⁰. The department describes its mission as helping citizens with the codes and permitting process while enforcing building codes in a fair and considerate manner¹⁰. Indiana adopts statewide building and residential codes, while local jurisdictions may require building permits, plan review, and inspections; Dearborn County uses that local authority¹¹². For one- and two-family dwellings, the 2020 Indiana Residential Code has been in effect since December 26, 2019¹². A building used only for an agricultural purpose on the land where it sits, and not used for retail, is exempt from Indiana's state Class 1 design-release classification, but that exemption does not waive any Dearborn County permit, inspection, or zoning requirement that applies¹³.

Who is the Dearborn County building department, and how do you reach them?

The Dearborn County Building Department handles building permits and code enforcement for the county¹⁰. Reach the office at 165 Mary St in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, or by phone at (812) 537-8822¹⁰. The county also runs an online Citizen Portal for building permit applications, so you do not have to apply in person¹⁰. Zoning compliance is handled separately by the Department of Planning & Zoning at the same 165 Mary St address, reachable at (812) 537-8821¹⁴³. Septic (on-site sewage) permits go through a third office, the Environmental Health Division of the Dearborn County Health Department, also at 165 Mary St, at (812) 537-8841¹⁵⁵.

Does Dearborn County have zoning?

Yes: Dearborn County has an adopted Zoning Ordinance administered by the Department of Planning & Zoning and the Plan Commission³. The county's planning map publishes a county zoning layer separately from municipal zoning layers for Aurora, Dillsboro, St. Leon, and West Harrison, so use the layer for the jurisdiction where the parcel actually lies⁴. The county published proposed Article 19 amendments for solar energy systems that would apply throughout unincorporated Dearborn County, with a possible vote scheduled for September 28, 2026; contact Planning & Zoning for the outcome and current solar standards¹⁴. For other projects, ask Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel's district and the uses and development standards that apply before designing the site³. Subdividing land outside a municipality requires a plat recorded with the county recorder and the approval required under Indiana's subdivision process¹⁶.

How do septic permits work in Dearborn County?

Any Dearborn County property using an on-site sewage system needs a permit from the Environmental Health Division of the Dearborn County Health Department before construction begins⁵¹⁵. That office handles information and inspections for septic systems along with several other environmental health topics¹⁵. Indiana's residential on-site sewage rule, 410 IAC 6-8.3, sets the statewide standard, but local boards of health administer it and local health departments issue the permits, subject to state review¹⁷. A compliant system generally means a septic tank paired with a soil absorption system that has not failed; drywells and cesspools are not allowed anywhere in Indiana¹⁸. USDA soil survey data rates only about 0.5% of Dearborn County's soils as not severely limited for a conventional drain field, among the lowest shares in this dataset, so budget for a careful site evaluation and expect many parcels to need an engineered or alternative system⁹. The county's Environmental Health office also publishes a septic installer contractor list and the septic permit application form¹⁵.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Dearborn County?

Indiana's campground rule only governs recreational vehicles at a regulated campground, defined as an area with ten or more leased or rented campsites; it caps occupancy at one RV or vacation mobile home per designated campsite and does not create a right to live in an RV on an individually owned rural lot outside that definition¹⁹. A temporary campground operating outside that framework is capped at ten consecutive days per event and thirty days per year under local health officer jurisdiction²⁰. Neither rule answers whether you can live in an RV full-time on your own Dearborn County land; this guide found no county page addressing RV or tiny-home occupancy on private property directly, so ask Planning & Zoning before relying on one for a permanent residence¹⁴. Any dwelling, tiny home included, still needs an approved wastewater connection: a septic tank and soil absorption system where there is no sewer, permitted through the Health Department as described above¹⁸¹⁵.

Building a home in Dearborn County: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the parcel's zoning with the Department of Planning & Zoning, and ask whether any pending ordinance changes, such as the September 2026 Article 19 solar rewrite, affect your plans¹⁴.
2. If the land needs to be subdivided or platted, get that plat approved and recorded with the county recorder before selling or building on individual lots¹⁶.
3. Apply for a septic permit through the Environmental Health Division of the Health Department before any site work begins; a passing site evaluation and Health Department permit come first¹⁵¹⁸.
4. If a new well is needed, check with the Health Department whether Dearborn County requires a local well-construction or pump-installation permit, since Indiana leaves that decision to individual local health departments⁸.
5. Apply for a Highway Department driveway permit before installing a new driveway or changing the use of an existing one; the fee is $25, and the driveway must meet the county's spacing, sight-distance, and width standards⁶.
6. Submit your building permit application to the Building Department, in person or through the county's online Citizen Portal, along with any required plans¹⁰.
7. Schedule required inspections through the Building Department as construction proceeds toward a final inspection¹⁰.

What to check before you buy land in Dearborn County

Zoning: confirm the parcel's zoning district with Planning & Zoning, and if solar is part of your plan, ask about the status of the Article 19 rewrite before you assume today's rules will still apply¹⁴³. Septic: with only about 0.5% of the county's soils rated free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, treat a passing septic site evaluation as a must-have contingency before you close⁹¹⁵. Water: ask the Health Department directly whether Dearborn County requires a local well permit, since Indiana law leaves that decision to individual counties rather than publishing a statewide list⁸. Access: a new or changed-use driveway needs a $25 Highway Department permit and must meet 185-foot spacing from other driveways on major roads, 280 feet of sight distance, and a 24-foot maximum width, and it cannot drain toward the road⁶. Flood: Indiana's DNR Division of Water controls most floodway development statewide, and this guide could not confirm a separate Dearborn County floodplain administrator, so ask Planning & Zoning who handles local floodplain review²¹¹⁴. Taxes: Dearborn County's effective property tax rate runs about 0.8%, with a median annual bill near $1,726²²²³.

Watch-outs

• Dearborn County published proposed Article 19 solar-energy amendments with a possible vote scheduled for September 28, 2026, but the verified office page does not state the outcome; confirm the current rule with Planning & Zoning before planning a solar project¹⁴.
• This guide could not confirm which Dearborn County office serves as the local floodplain administrator; Indiana requires a local floodplain permit in addition to the state DNR permit, so ask Planning & Zoning who handles it before you build in a mapped floodplain²¹¹⁴.
• No owner-builder permit exemption was found on Dearborn County's official pages; do not assume you can skip a licensed contractor requirement without checking with the Building Department first⁷.
• No Dearborn County page addresses RV or tiny-home occupancy on private land directly; confirm with Planning & Zoning before relying on either for a permanent residence¹⁴.

Sources

1. Dearborn County Building Department (2026 county census)
2. DHS: Boards and Commissions (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
3. Dearborn County Planning & Zoning (2026 county census)
4. Planning/ZoningMap, quoted and re-checked
5. Dearborn County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (2026 county census)
6. Dearborn County Highway Department (dearborncounty.org)
7. (2026 county census)
8. Recommended Standards For Private Water Wells (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
10. Dearborn County Building Department (dearborncounty.org)
11. Rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. DHS: Rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission, quoted and re-checked
13. Plan Review FAQs (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Dearborn County Department of Planning & Zoning (dearborncounty.org)
15. Dearborn County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (dearborncounty.org)
16. 2023 County Recorders Resource Library (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Environmental Public Health: 410 IAC 6-71 Campgrounds (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Environmental Public Health: 410 IAC 6-71 Campgrounds (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Water: Community Assistance & Information (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
23. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written September 29, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.