Permit & License Lookup

Water Well Permits by State

See whether your state requires a well-construction permit and a licensed driller — and find the authority to confirm with.

Choose your state or province (or U.S. territory)

Verified states show the exact licensing authority. All others show the general rule plus a link to find your state's board.

Pick a state above to see its well-permit and driller-licensing rules.

General guidance compiled from state and federal sources for 2025–2026 — well rules change and vary by county. Always confirm current permit and licensing requirements with your state's board (and your county) before drilling, and hire a licensed well driller.

Want the full picture? Read the Well Regulations & Permits guide — federal framework, testing rules, and setbacks.

Checked against the source

Licensing authorities we have confirmed ourselves.

We hold confirmed licensing-authority details for these eight states, each checked against the agency’s own published page. Every row links straight to that agency so you can verify it yourself rather than take our word for it. For every other state and province the tool points you to the right search — we do not publish a board name we have not confirmed.

Verified well-driller licensing authorities by state
State	What is required	Official source
California	C-57 Water Well Drilling Contractor licence, plus county well-construction permits.	Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
Georgia	Water Well / Pump Contractor licence under O.C.G.A. §12-5-120, with a surety bond and annual continuing education.	Georgia Environmental Protection Division
Nevada	Annual well-driller licence, required before any well work begins.	Nevada Division of Water Resources
Pennsylvania	Water well driller licence and rig permit under Act 610.	Pennsylvania DCNR
Tennessee	Well driller / installer licence, renewed annually.	Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation
Texas	TDLR licence; a groundwater-conservation-district permit may also apply.	Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation
Vermont	Drillers must file a well completion report within 90 days.	Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
Washington	Licence required to construct or decommission a well.	Washington Department of Ecology

Verified 19 June 2026 against each agency’s published page. Licensing rules change and often vary by county, so confirm current requirements with the agency and your county before drilling begins.

Common questions

Licences and permits, answered plainly.

No, and you usually need both. The licence belongs to the driller and shows the state has judged them competent to construct a well. The permit is usually for the well itself and is often issued locally — California adds county well-construction permits on top of the state licence, and in Texas a groundwater conservation district may require its own permit. Ask a driller to show you both.

Look the driller up on the issuing agency’s own site rather than relying on a number printed on a truck or a website. A licence number tells you one was issued at some point; only the agency shows whether it is current and in good standing. The eight agencies above link straight through.

Because those are the eight we have confirmed against the agency’s own published page. Publishing a board name we have not checked would be worse than useless on a page people rely on before spending five figures, so for every other state the tool sends you to a search that finds the right agency instead.

Nearly always for a new well, though who issues it varies — it may be the state, a county health department, or a groundwater district, and some areas require notification rather than a full permit. Requirements also differ for replacing an existing well or decommissioning an old one. Your driller normally files it, but the obligation sits with the property owner.

Find a licensed well driller.

Confirm your state's rules, then compare verified drillers in your area — direct contact, no referral fees.

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