Septic permit rules and requirements in South Carolina
In South Carolina, the state issues the septic permit itself. It comes from the Bureau of Regional and Laboratory Services (BRLS), South Carolina Department of Environmental Services. The code is Regulation 61-56. South Carolina Code of Regulations, Chapter 61, Regulation 61-56, Sections 104.1 and 104.2 · checked 2026-09-12
Bureau of Regional and Laboratory Services (BRLS)
Writes the rules
checked 2026-09-23
The state
Issues the permit
checked 2026-09-12
Regulation 61-56
Code section
checked 2026-09-23
Who issues a septic permit in South Carolina
The state issues the permit itself, through the Bureau of Regional and Laboratory Services (BRLS), South Carolina Department of Environmental Services.
The rule says the Department issues the permit to build a system. It also issues the final approval to run it.
South Carolina Code of Regulations, Chapter 61, Regulation 61-56, Sections 104.1 and 104.2 · checked 2026-09-12
The office's phone number is 1-855-731-2504.
Call this line for help with a permit or a copy of one. The page lists other numbers for engineers and for large systems.
South Carolina Department of Environmental Services — Septic Tanks: Who to Call · checked 2026-09-23
The office publishes its own page on this: South Carolina Department of Environmental Services — Septic Tanks.
The septic page states this address as its own link.
South Carolina Department of Environmental Services — Septic Tanks · checked 2026-09-23
Where the rule is written
The rules that govern every septic system in South Carolina are Regulation 61-56 — Onsite Wastewater Systems. The state applies them directly.
The rule covers permits for septic systems across the state.
South Carolina Code of Regulations, Chapter 61, Regulation 61-56 · checked 2026-09-23
What state law requires
Does South Carolina require a septic permit?
A system needs a permit to build, upgrade, expand or operate it. The state may also require one to repair or replace it.
South Carolina Code of Regulations, Chapter 61, Regulation 61-56 · checked 2026-09-23
Does South Carolina require a percolation test?
SCDES has not used a percolation test since the 1970s. It evaluates soil and site conditions instead.
South Carolina Department of Environmental Services — Septic Tanks: Frequently Asked Questions · checked 2026-09-23
How far a system must sit from the property line in South Carolina.
5 feet.
The setback runs from any system part, except a solid pipe, to the line.
South Carolina Code of Regulations, Chapter 61, Regulation 61-56 · checked 2026-09-23
Does South Carolina require an inspection when a home is sold?
South Carolina does not require an inspection when someone sells a home. The state requires one only when someone builds a new home.
A town may set its own rule for this.
South Carolina Department of Environmental Services — Septic Tanks: Frequently Asked Questions · checked 2026-09-23
Must the installer be licensed in South Carolina?
SCDES licenses anyone who builds or repairs a system. It has three tiers, based on skill and experience.
South Carolina Code of Regulations, Chapter 61, Regulation 61-56 · checked 2026-09-23
South Carolina counties on this site
We have not published a South Carolina county page yet. A county earns a page when we hold facts unique to it. Until then this page is the answer for every county in the state.
Telling us your county is how we decide which one to build next.
Sources
State records only. Each figure above has a government source and a checked-on date. County figures live on the county pages.
- South Carolina Department of Environmental Services — Bureau of Regional & Laboratory Services
- South Carolina Department of Environmental Services — Septic Tanks
- South Carolina Department of Environmental Services — Septic Tanks: Who to Call
- South Carolina Code of Regulations, Chapter 61, Regulation 61-56, Sections 104.1 and 104.2
- South Carolina Department of Environmental Services — Septic Tanks: Frequently Asked Questions
Verify before you act. Septic rules are set locally and they change. Check anything here with the Bureau of Regional and Laboratory Services (BRLS) before you spend money on it.