Septic Permits & Springs Rules in Marion County
Who issues septic permits in Marion County, when you need one, how the Silver Springs and Rainbow Springs protection plan affects septic systems, and what happens when sewer reaches your street.
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Photo: P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, and some details depend on your exact address. Confirm with Florida DEP or a registered septic contractor before you start work. Checked October 2026.
Who’s in charge
Florida DEP issues septic permits in Marion County
Florida’s septic program moved from the Department of Health to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on July 1, 2021. In most counties the local health department still handles permits on DEP’s behalf, but DEP says it permits septic systems directly in Marion County and Northwest Florida.
Applications go through DEP’s online portal or by mail. For a new system, the site evaluation can be done by DEP or by a private site evaluator.
Work that needs a permit
- New septic systems
- Repairs and modifications
- Abandoning a system, for example when you connect to sewer
Routine pumping doesn’t need a permit from you, but the company doing it must be a DEP-registered septic contractor with an active service permit.
Sources: Florida DEP, program transfer; Florida DEP, Onsite sewage permitting FAQ; Florida DEP, septic contracting FAQ.
Hiring a septic contractor
Florida requires septic tank contractors to register with DEP, which involves an exam. State-licensed plumbers are exempt from registration for some work. Homeowners may do some work on their own owner-occupied single-family home, but permits still apply.
DEP’s website also has a permit status lookup and a search for maintenance entities, the companies that service aerobic and performance-based systems.
Sources: Florida DEP, septic contracting FAQ; Florida DEP Onsite Sewage Program.
Springs protection
The Silver Springs and Rainbow Springs plan
Silver Springs and Rainbow Springs are protected by a state Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) to reduce nitrogen. DEP adopted the current combined plan by order signed June 27, 2025. It replaces the 2018 plan. Septic systems are one of the nitrogen sources it targets.
New systems: under Florida law, inside a springs BMAP area, a new septic system on a lot of 1 acre or less without central sewer must be an enhanced nutrient-reducing system or one that achieves at least 65% nitrogen reduction.
Existing systems: in the priority focus areas closest to the springs, a system that needs repair or replacement may have to be upgraded to a nitrogen-reducing system or connected to sewer if sewer is available. DEP says the details and effective dates vary by plan and are shown on its map tool, so check your address before you plan a replacement.
Sources: Florida DEP, 2025 Silver and Rainbow Springs BMAP order; Florida Statutes s. 403.067; Florida DEP, requirements for existing septic systems; Florida DEP, springs and existing systems fact sheet.
Approved nitrogen-reducing options
- In-ground nitrogen-reducing biofilter (INRB), a passive system
- NSF-245 aerobic treatment unit (ATU), which needs an operating permit and maintenance contract
- Performance-based treatment system (PBTS), also with ongoing maintenance requirements
DEP has offered up to $10,000 per system through its Septic Upgrade Incentive Program in springs priority areas, including Marion County, when funding is available. The installer applies before work starts.
Sources: Florida DEP, springs and existing systems fact sheet; UF/IFAS Extension, septic upgrade incentives.
Septic to sewer
When sewer reaches your street
Florida law (s. 381.00655) says a working septic system must connect to available central sewer within 365 days of written notice. If the system needs repair, the deadline is 90 days. Connection charges can be paid over up to two years.
Marion County runs septic-to-sewer projects in designated program areas of unincorporated Marion County. Current work is in Silver Springs Shores, where Phases I and II are under construction and later phases await approval and funding. The county has offered grants to cover connection costs for owners who connect on time. Marion County Utilities lists 352-671-8474 for questions.
If a septic-to-sewer project is planned for your area, ask about it before you pay for a full septic replacement.
Full septic-to-sewer and abandonment guide →
Sources: Florida Statutes s. 381.00655; Marion County Utilities, septic-to-sewer projects.
Questions
Permits FAQ
Do I need a permit to pump my septic tank?
Is my home in the springs priority focus area?
Does Florida require septic inspections every 5 years?
Get a quote from a local septic pro
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