- Plan for a trade exam.
- If your certification lapses more than 2 years, you must reapply and retest.
Do you need a state license in Georgia?
Georgia licenses septic system work at the state level through the Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health, Onsite Sewage. Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
Steps to get licensed in Georgia
- Study the DPH Manual for On-site Sewage Management Systems.
- Schedule your exams with your environmental health office ($50 each).
- Bring the contractor application to your exam and pass with at least 70 points.
- Work for a certified company, or certify your own once you pass ($400 for an installer company).
Experience and other requirements
Experience. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
The license to apply for. Certified Installer (contractor certification), working for a certified installer company.
Georgia septic installer exams
Trade exam. The Residential exam to install, plus extra exams for commercial systems, subsurface drip and mounds. You need 70 points. Each exam costs $50 and is booked through your environmental health office.
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Georgia
The board lists 3 fees along the way. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Exam, each | $50 |
| New installer company | $400 |
| Installing and pumping company | $800 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. If your certification lapses more than 2 years, you must reapply and retest.
Reciprocity. No. A certification from another state does not carry over. You must certify in Georgia.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for septic installation near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health, Onsite Sewage and the official pages below, checked October 9, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.