GroundRosterGeorgia septic and well contractor license lookup
Georgia splits this work between two agencies. The Department of Public Health (DPH) certifies septic installers and pumpers. The Environmental Protection Division (EPD), acting for the Water Well Standards Advisory Council, licenses water well contractors and certifies pump contractors.
Searches our copy of the Georgia rosters. The state's own lookups, below, are the final word.
Who licenses what
Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Environmental Health
| Licenses | Septic tank installers and pumpers |
| Law | DPH Rules, Chapter 511-3-1 |
| Renewal | Installer and pumper certification lasts two years. A pumping business also needs a septage removal permit from the county, valid for one year. Source |
Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), for the Water Well Standards Advisory Council
| Licenses | Water well contractors (a license) and pump contractors (a certificate) |
| Law | Water Well Standards Act, O.C.G.A. 12-5-120 to 12-5-138 |
| Renewal | Each EPD list gives one expiry date for everyone on it. The current water well contractor list says licenses expire June 30, 2027; the pump contractor list says certifications expire June 30, 2028. Source |
Permits
A septic system needs a construction permit from the county board of health before it is installed.
Source: DPH Rule 511-3-1-.03.
What the license classes mean
Certified Septic Tank Installer
Installs septic systems. The certification belongs to the individual, who must work for, or own, a DPH-certified septic company. Installing takes at least the Residential exam; commercial systems, subsurface drip systems and mounds take additional exams, and our listings don't show which exams an installer has passed.
Issued by Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Environmental Health. Source: DPH: become a certified installer or pumper.
Approved Septic Tank Pumper
Pumps septic tanks, after passing DPH's Pumper exam. The pumping business also needs a septage removal permit from the county.
Issued by Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Environmental Health. Source: DPH: become a certified installer or pumper; DPH Rule 511-3-1-.11.
Licensed Water Well Contractor
Licensed by EPD to construct, alter or repair water wells.
Issued by Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), for the Water Well Standards Advisory Council. Source: O.C.G.A. 12-5-122; EPD: licensed water well contractors.
Certified pump contractor
Installs, services and repairs pumps and pumping equipment for water wells, not the well itself. Georgia issues this as a certificate with a certificate number, not a license; our listings label it "Certified Well Pump Contractor".
Issued by Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), for the Water Well Standards Advisory Council. Source: O.C.G.A. 12-5-122; EPD: certified pump contractors.
Check a license with the state
- Certified septic tank installer companies (PDF): By county. Company and phone only: no individual names or certification numbers.
- Approved septic tank pumper companies (PDF): By county. Company and phone only.
- Licensed water well contractors (PDF): By license number, with names and companies. Use your browser's find.
- Certified pump contractors (PDF): By certificate number, with names and companies.
Good to know
- DPH's septic lists name companies, not people, and carry no certification numbers, so they confirm the company rather than the individual installer or pumper.
- The expiry on Georgia well listings is the date printed on EPD's list, the same for everyone in the class, not a date of the contractor's own.
Not being in our copy is not evidence that someone is unlicensed. Our copy can lag the state, and a license may be listed under another name, such as the owner's or the company's.