Onsite System Registration Fact Sheet
This guidance document is advisory in nature but is binding on an agency until amended by such agency. A guidance document does not include internal procedural documents that only affect the internal operations of the agency and does not impose additional requirements or penalties on regulated parties or include confidential information or rules and regulations made in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. If you believe that this guidance document imposes additional requirements or penalties on regulated parties, you may request a review of the document.

Form #: 10-002 Guidance Documents Revised: 12/13/22


Any onsite wastewater treatment system constructed, reconstructed, altered, modified, or otherwise changed by a certified professional, professional engineer, or registered environmental health specialist must be registered with the Department by the certified professional, professional engineer, or registered environmental health specialist within 45 days of completion of the construction, reconstruction, alteration, modification, or other change. The Department has interpreted completion of work to mean that all onsite wastewater treatment system components have been installed, constructed, or modified so that the system piping, treatment devices or other appurtenances that convey, treat or dispose of wastewater are ready to be used. NDEE does not consider construction completion of an onsite system to be dependent upon construction of any dwelling or building to which the system may be connected, final grading, seeding, or the date of receipt of payment for work performed.

Registration is not required for inspecting, pumping, or performing a repair to a system. Title 124 - Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems defines repair as Repair means the correction of a mechanical, electrical, or minor structural defect in an existing onsite wastewater system component such as, but not limited to, sealing a crack in a tank lid, repairing or replacing a tank baffle or access manhole riser, repairing or replacing a pump or electrical switch, leveling a distribution box, replacing a building sewer pipe, or replacing a cracked pipe between the septic tank and soil absorption system. Repair does not include replacement, reconstruction or modification of a tank or soil absorption system; extension or enlargement of a soil absorption component and system; replacement of a distribution pipe; or repair or replacement of a metal or concrete block tank.

To register an onsite wastewater treatment system, the certified professional, professional engineer, or registered environmental health specialist must submit the required system information with the non-refundable registration fee of $140. An initial late registration fee is required for any registration received by the Department 46 to 90 days after completion of the system and is in addition to the system registration fee. A final late registration fee is required for any registration received by the Department 91 or more days after completion of the system and is in addition to the system registration fee.
Fees Associated with Registration of an Onsite System

Registration of Onsite System
$140
Initial Late Registration – add to registration fee for any registration received by the Department 46 to 90 days after completion of the system
$150
Final Late Registration – add to registration fee for any registration received by the Department 91 days or more after completion of the system
$450