Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Newark, Ohio

At a glance

Zoning

Newark's own Planning and Zoning Code applies inside city limits¹

Building permits

Enforced by the Licking County Building Code Department inside the city²

Septic

Installation and operating permits from the Licking County Health Department³

Wells

Health department permit before installing or altering a private water system⁴

Manufactured homes

Zoning permit required outside an approved park⁵

RV or tiny-home living

Not confirmed; ask the Zoning Division²

Lot size and setbacks (RS district)

20,000 sq ft lot; 35 ft front, 15 ft side, 50 ft rear yards⁶⁷

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Does Newark, Ohio have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Yes. Land inside Newark city limits is zoned under the city's Planning and Zoning Code, which publishes agricultural, several single-family residential, manufactured-home, commercial, industrial, planned-unit and historic-overlay districts¹⁸. The city's Division of Zoning handles zoning questions and permits².

District matters. In Newark's RS Suburban district, a one- or one-and-a-half-story single-family home needs a 20,000-square-foot lot⁶, with a 35-foot front yard, 15-foot side yards and a 50-foot rear yard⁷. Principal buildings in the single-family districts top out at two and one-half stories or 30 feet, and accessory buildings at one and one-half stories or 20 feet⁹.

Manufactured homes: outside an approved manufactured-home park, Newark requires a zoning permit from the Zoning Inspector before anyone occupies one⁵.

We could not confirm Newark's rules for living in an RV, tiny-home occupancy or accessory dwellings; ask the Division of Zoning before you plan on any of them².

Do you need a building permit in Newark, and who issues it?

Newark's own engineering and zoning page says the Licking County Building Code Department enforces residential and commercial building codes within the City of Newark². That department states that new dwellings and additions require a permit within its jurisdiction¹⁰, so expect a county building permit for a new home in the city. We could not confirm the exact permit triggers for every kind of project inside city limits, so call the department to check¹¹.

The order matters. The county requires a zoning certificate from your local zoning inspector before it will approve a building permit¹¹. In Newark, that means the city's zoning permit comes first². Ohio's statewide rule is that plans must be approved by the building department with jurisdiction before construction starts¹².

The county's fee schedule shows a residential structural base fee of $41.25 plus $22.00 per 100 square feet¹³. That schedule is labeled 2013, so confirm current fees with the department¹¹.

Who handles zoning and building permits in Newark, and how do you reach them?

Two offices split the work. The City of Newark's Division of Engineering & Zoning issues zoning permits, plus driveway and curb-cut permits, at 40 West Main Street, 2nd Fl.; its zoning line is (740) 670-7729². The Licking County Building Code Department at 675 Price Road, phone 740.349.6671, reviews construction documents and issues building permits¹¹.

For driveways, the city runs an online application for curb-cut and driveway work and tells applicants to allow at least 2 weeks for approval¹⁴¹⁵. The city also publishes a zoning, planning and Board of Zoning Appeals fee schedule effective November 1, 2023¹⁶.

How do septic permits work inside Newark?

Septic permits come from the Licking County Health Department, not the city. A sewage system installation permit and an operating permit must both be obtained from the health department before installation³¹⁷. The installer must call for an inspection before backfilling, and the department makes a follow-up inspection 12 months after a new system is finished¹⁸.

Most city lots connect to public sewer instead. Making or altering a public-sewer connection in Newark requires a permit from the Director of Public Service¹⁹. Ohio's statewide rule requires connection to an existing public sewer when one is accessible and available, and for a proposed structure that test is met when a lot line lies within 300 feet of the sewer²⁰. Whether a given Newark parcel may use an on-lot system at all is not something we could confirm, so ask the health department before you buy²¹¹⁷.

Wells follow the same split: the health department must issue a permit before a private water system is installed or altered⁴.

Building a home in Newark: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and whether your use is allowed with the City of Newark Division of Engineering & Zoning².
2. If the lot is not on public sewer, have the site evaluated by the Licking County Health Department before you buy or build¹⁷.
3. Obtain the city zoning permit; the county will not approve a building permit without a zoning certificate¹¹.
4. Submit your application and construction plans to the Licking County Building Code Department¹¹²².
5. Get the septic installation and operating permits, or the public-sewer connection permit from the Director of Public Service³¹⁹.
6. If you want a driveway cut, apply to the city for a curb-cut permit¹⁵.
7. Schedule inspections as you build; Ohio requires an approval before occupying a new residence²³.

What stays with Licking County, and what should you check before you buy in Newark?

The county, not the city, handles building-code enforcement, septic and well permits in Newark²³. For land outside city limits, rules differ by township: 19 of Licking County's 25 townships are zoned and 6 are not²⁴. See the Licking County page for unincorporated land.

Before buying, ask the Zoning Division about the lot's district, the Health Department about sewer or septic, and the Building Code Department about the permit. Also check flood status; the city says its engineer's office handles the flood ordinance, and we could not confirm its details². Licking County's effective property tax rate is 1.3%²⁵.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm Newark's rules on RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwelling units or short-term rentals; ask the Division of Zoning before relying on any of them².
• Ohio's campground rules for RVs apply to licensed campgrounds and do not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own lot²⁶.
• The county fee schedule we found is labeled 2013, so building permit fees may have changed; call the Building Code Department for current amounts¹³.
• Rules in the townships around Newark differ from the city's, so a neighbor's answer just outside city limits may not apply to your lot²⁴.

Sources

1. Newark Code of Ordinances, Part Twelve—Planning and Zoning Code (Newark), quoted and re-checked
2. City of Newark Division of Engineering & Zoning (newarkohio.gov)
3. Licking County Health Department Sewage Treatment Program (Newark), quoted and re-checked
4. lickingcohealth.org (Newark), quoted and re-checked
5. Newark Code § 1250.15, Parking and Occupancy of Manufactured Homes (Newark), quoted and re-checked
6. Newark Code § 1248.08, Lot Area and Setbacks (Newark), quoted and re-checked
7. Newark Code § 1248.08, Lot Area and Setbacks (Newark), quoted and re-checked
8. Newark Code of Ordinances, Part Twelve—Planning and Zoning Code (Newark), quoted and re-checked
9. Newark Code § 1248.07, Height Restrictions (Newark), quoted and re-checked
10. Summary of residential work that does or does not require approval, quoted and re-checked
11. Licking County Building Code Department (lickingcounty.gov)
12. Section 3791.04 | Submission of plan - approvals - prohibition - fine (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Building Permit Fee Schedule, quoted and re-checked
14. City of Newark Engineering & Zoning (Newark), quoted and re-checked
15. City of Newark Engineering & Zoning (Newark), quoted and re-checked
16. City of Newark Engineering & Zoning (Newark), quoted and re-checked
17. Licking County Health Department (Sewage Treatment Program) (lickingcohealth.org)
18. Licking County Health Department Sewage Treatment Program (Newark), quoted and re-checked
19. Newark Code § 1040.08, Connections to Public Sewers (Newark), quoted and re-checked
20. Rule 3745-42-07 | Best available technology for connection into sanitary sewers and centralized collection and treatment (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Licking County Health Department Sewage Treatment Program (Newark), quoted and re-checked
22. Building Code, quoted and re-checked
23. Ohio Residential Code, Section 111, quoted and re-checked
24. Township & Zoning Info, quoted and re-checked
25. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
26. Rule 3701-26-04 | Campground requirements (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 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.