Onsite Sewage / Septic System Permit in Hillsborough County
Florida DEP's Onsite Sewage Program governs onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems (OSTDS), commonly called septic systems. The permit path is separate from County or city building and land-development approval. Confirm the current Hillsborough processing office and application route through DEP's official onsite-sewage resources before construction, repair, modification, or abandonment.
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Who needs this
Owners and project teams proposing a new, repaired, modified, replaced, or abandoned septic/OSTDS system, or a project whose use, building, bedroom count, wastewater flow, lot, or utility connection may affect an existing system.
Steps
- 1
Confirm sewer availability and parcel jurisdiction
Resolve the parcel and local building authority, then determine whether public sewer service or connection requirements apply. Do not assume a property uses septic from its neighborhood, mailing city, or an old record.
hcfl.gov/businesses/permits-and-records - 2
Use DEP's current Hillsborough onsite-sewage route
Start with Florida DEP's Onsite Sewage Program and county processing information. The legacy Hillsborough Florida Department of Health program URL returned HTTP 403 to the research client on 2026-09-24; verify the current processing office and submission method rather than relying on a stale handoff.
floridadep.gov/water/onsite-sewage - 3
Select the correct application and system action
Use DEP's current forms and permitting FAQ for the proposed action: new system, repair, modification, replacement, abandonment, existing-system evaluation, or another applicable OSTDS request. Project facts determine the form and supporting material.
floridadep.gov/water/onsite-sewage/content/onsite-sewage-for - 4
Prepare site and wastewater information
Provide the property and owner details, proposed use and estimated wastewater flow, site plan or survey information, water supply and well locations, and soil/site evaluation or professional design when required by the selected application. Follow the current reviewer instructions for the parcel.
floridadep.gov/water/onsite-sewage/content/onsite-sewage-faq - 5
Coordinate with local development and building review
Submit the separate County or city planning/building applications required for the project. Do not treat an OSTDS approval as zoning, building, utility, floodplain, or environmental approval, and do not represent a building permit as septic authorization.
hcfl.gov/businesses/hillsgovhub - 6
Complete required review and inspections
Do not cover or place the system into service until the responsible onsite-sewage authority has completed the required review, installation verification, and approval for the selected permit. Use a properly authorized contractor or professional for regulated work.
floridadep.gov/water/onsite-sewage - 7
Retain approval and update it when the project changes
Keep the permit, approved plan, inspection record, and maintenance requirements with the property documents. Recheck the onsite-sewage approval if the building, use, wastewater flow, bedrooms, lot layout, water source, or utility availability changes.
myfloridaehpermit.com/mars
Requirements
- Current application for the actual OSTDS action and property.
- Parcel, proposed-use, wastewater-flow, site, water-supply, and system information required by the selected form.
- Site evaluation, design, contractor, maintenance entity, or professional certification when required for the system.
- Separate County or city land-development and building approvals.
- Required onsite-sewage inspection and final authorization before covering or using the system.
Documents
- Property address, parcel identification, owner authorization, and project description
- Site plan or survey showing structures, property lines, water sources, and proposed or existing system
- Wastewater-flow and use information plus soil/site or professional design documents when required
- Existing septic permits, evaluations, maintenance records, and utility availability information
Fees
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OSTDS application, review, and inspection | Use the current fee presented by the responsible Hillsborough processing office for the selected application; no fixed amount is asserted. | |
| Site evaluation, design, contractor, or maintenance services | Private professional and contractor charges vary by property, system, and required service. | |
| County or city development and building permits | Separate and project-specific; use the current schedule for the parcel's building authority. |
Good to know
DEP's current onsite-sewage page links its permitting FAQ, forms/publications, program-transfer information, county health locations, and MARS portal.The legacy Hillsborough Florida Department of Health OSTDS page returned HTTP 403 to the research client on 2026-09-24. This workflow does not claim that a blocked page proves an office or program is unavailable.No permit fee, completeness promise, or processing time is copied from Pinellas or inferred for Hillsborough.