Georgia Septic Contractor License Requirements (2026)
By Gabriel Giner, Editor · Source checked 2026-09-30
Georgia requires an individual septic installer to operate through a DPH-certified company. Passing the installer examination does not by itself establish an independent business: a person can join an existing certified company or apply for company certification to work as a sole installer. The residential installer exam is the starting examination; commercial, subsurface drip, and mound work need additional examinations. Pumping has a separate examination and company category, as well as a county septage-removal permit.
Regulatory Body
Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) administers and enforces this credential under the authority of Georgia Rules Chapter 511-3-1 (On-site Sewage Management Systems). Certifies septic installers and companies; county environmental health offices schedule examinations and administer local pumping permits.
- Official portal: https://dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health/onsite-sewage/how-become-certified-installerpumper
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Check the current application for identification and tax-number requirements. The contractor application asks for the last four SSN digits and a notarized verification-of-residency affidavit with a secure, verifiable identity document. The affidavit distinguishes U.S. citizenship, permanent residence, and qualifying immigration status; it is not proof that Georgia residence alone is required.
Good moral character
The contractor application requires disclosure of unresolved industry disciplinary actions. The company application asks about onsite-rule violations, specified criminal matters, and onsite-service civil judgments or pending cases; provide explanations when a required attestation cannot be made.
Background investigation
Use the disclosures and identity affidavit in the official forms. These documents do not establish a separate fingerprinting requirement for this guide.
Experience and Education
DPH’s entry instructions do not specify a minimum number of prior working years. Applicants must meet the age and application requirements, pass the relevant examination, and work through a certified company. Additional examinations control entry into commercial, subsurface drip, and mound installation.
Accepted proof of experience or eligibility
- Completed individual contractor application and required identity/residency documents.
- Existing certified company information, or a new company application after passing the examination.
Exam Requirements
Testing provider or authority: Georgia DPH examination scheduled through the county Environmental Health Office. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:
- Residential installer examination; additional examinations for specialized systems — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score 70%
Examination fee: $50 per examination. Residential installation and pumping use different examinations.
Retake policy: DPH requires previously certified individuals expired for more than two years to reapply and retest. Ask the county examination office about retakes after an unsuccessful initial examination.
Insurance and Bonds
The reviewed septic credential sources do not establish a bond amount. Confirm any business, permit, or project bond separately; an unspecified amount is not a bond exemption.
General liability
The reviewed septic credential sources do not establish a general-liability minimum. Confirm requirements for the business and the particular project.
Workers' compensation
Workers’ compensation obligations are not determined by the septic credential guidance cited here. Confirm employee coverage requirements separately.
Fee Schedule
The table models one person taking the residential exam and starting an installer-only company in an even-numbered year. The $400 is a company charge, not a charge for each employee.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application | No separate charge for this pathway |
| Examination | $50 |
| Initial license | $400 |
| Renewal (every 2 years) | $400 |
$450 in listed exam and installer-company charges for that route ($50 + $400), before additional examinations, permits, or other business costs. An applicant joining an existing certified company does not pay a new-company fee. DPH prorates new company fees by 50% in odd-numbered years. A company offering both installation and pumping pays $800 before exam and county permit costs.
To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Georgia septic contractor.
Renewal and Continuing Education
Individual and company certifications expire February 28 in even-numbered years. The next regular expiration after the 2026 renewal is February 28, 2028. The timely installer-company renewal is $400, not a fee per individual. County pumping permits renew annually. A new installer certified in 2026 first needs renewal CE for February 2028 under the posted FAQ.
Continuing education: Installers need 8 hours per certification cycle. Pumpers need 6; an individual doing both needs 8 total. Excess CE does not roll into the next cycle.
Downloadable Asset
2026 Georgia Septic Contractor License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.
Download the PDF roadmap →Reciprocity
Out-of-state credentials must be considered under the septic program’s own rules. The pathways documented below do not establish NASCLA examination credit.
| Reciprocal State | Accepted Exam | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified. | ||
DPH expressly requires Georgia certification even when the applicant is certified in another state. Submit the Georgia application and follow its examination and company requirements.
Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Septic Contractor license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.
Septic Contractor Licensing in Neighboring States
Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Georgia's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:
- Alabama Septic Contractor License Requirements — Basic / Advanced Level I / Advanced Level II installer
- Florida Septic Contractor License Requirements — Florida Registered Septic Tank Contractor and Business Authorization
- North Carolina Septic Contractor License Requirements — North Carolina Grade Level II / IV Onsite Wastewater Contractor Certification
- South Carolina Septic Contractor License Requirements — Tier 1 / Tier 2 / Tier 3 onsite installer
- Tennessee Septic Contractor License Requirements — Septic system installer permit
Step-by-Step Application Roadmap
- Choose residential or additional installation scope. Review DPH’s onsite manual topics; commercial, drip, and mound installation require extra examinations.
- Arrange the residential exam. Contact the county Environmental Health Office and pay the $50 exam fee.
- Submit the individual application. Bring the contractor application to the scheduled exam and complete the identity affidavit and supporting documents.
- Join or certify a company. After passing, join an existing certified company or file the company application and pay the applicable installer-company fee.
- Add pumping only through its own route. Pumping requires its examination, company category, and current county permit; installation certification alone does not supply those permissions.
- Track both renewal schedules. Maintain the biennial company/individual certification and CE; pumping companies also track annual county permits.
Application Checklist
These are the pieces to lock down before filing with DPH:
Progress is saved in this browser, so you can return to this checklist while your application is in flight.
Common Filing Mistakes
Drawn from the board instructions and sources cited on this page, the pitfalls below are the ones most likely to slow down or sink a Georgia Septic Contractor application.
Starting work after passing only the exam
The individual must operate under company certification.
Paying the current late-renewal figure as a new-company fee
DPH’s late-renewal page includes a $100 penalty. Use the new-company schedule for a new application.
Treating two-year company certification as a two-year pumping permit
County pumping permits renew annually.
Study and Reference Materials
What follows are the regulator-cited and commonly used preparation references for this trade. They appear here for convenience only; CLR takes no compensation for them.
- DPH Manual for On-site Sewage Management Systems — Georgia DPH. The new-applicant page directs installers to sections A, D, E, and F; use the current manual linked by DPH.
Other Georgia Trade Licenses
Should the Septic Contractor path not apply, these other Georgia trade guides from CLR may help:
- Georgia General Contractor License Requirements
- Georgia Electrician License Requirements
- Georgia Plumber License Requirements
- Georgia HVAC Technician License Requirements
- Georgia Roofing Contractor License Requirements
- Georgia Painting Contractor License Requirements
- Georgia Landscaping Contractor License Requirements
- Georgia Masonry Contractor License Requirements
- Georgia Concrete Contractor License Requirements
- Georgia Carpentry Contractor License Requirements
- Georgia Solar Installer License Requirements
- Georgia Low-Voltage Technician License Requirements
- Georgia Fire Sprinkler Contractor License Requirements
- Georgia Home Inspector License Requirements
- Georgia Pool Contractor License Requirements
- Georgia Handyman License Requirements
- Georgia Pest Control License Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an individual installer operate without a certified company?
No. DPH says an installer must be part of a certified company, including a new company with just that installer.
Is the $400 company fee charged per installer?
No. The installer-company fee is separate from the $50 individual examination charge and is not a fee for each employee.
Does the residential exam authorize commercial or drip installations?
DPH requires additional exams for commercial systems, subsurface drip systems, and mounds.
Do installation and pumping share one permission?
No. DPH distinguishes installer and pumper examinations and company categories. Pumping also requires an active county permit.
Primary Sources
Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.
- Georgia DPH — new installer and company certification
- Georgia DPH — individual contractor application and identity affidavit
- Georgia DPH — company application
- Georgia DPH — installer and pumper certification FAQs
- Georgia DPH — renewal, continuing education and current late fees
Verified 2026-09-30 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-29
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Corrections and presentation updates
- : Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
- : Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
- : Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.