TDEC septic
permit search.
Need to find your septic tank, plan around a drainfield, or check a home before buying? We search public files, contact TDEC or the local program when needed, and explain the records we find, free.
Research, records and explanation are free. Agency fees only with approval.
Viewer status: TDEC’s septic viewer is returning 403 in our checks. A blocked screen is not a no-record result.
Did the official search solve it?
Record the result so the next step matches what actually happened.
A blocked viewer or empty result does not have to end the search.
Tell us the address and what happened. We can check the record route, contact TDEC or the responsible local office when needed, and explain the response. If you found a permit but no layout, we can look for the missing drawing.
Free property research · Tennessee
What do you need to find out?
No drawing or permit number needed to start. Give us the property address and the question that matters to you.
Where is my septic tank?
Look for a permit or site sketch with tank and drainfield location clues—and learn what still needs an on-site locate.
Find my location records →Planning a deck or addition?
Look for the recorded drainfield layout before planning around it. Confirm the current location and project requirements locally.
Check my project’s records →Buying a home with septic?
Find the permit, layout and available approval records so you know what to ask the seller, inspector or records office.
Check this property’s records →Research, records and explanation are free. Agency fees only with your approval. We research records—not on-site inspections or permission to build. Any local field work is separate.
Nashville / Davidson: use the local archive.
Metro Nashville has a separate HealthCode search for environmental engineering files. It is a Davidson route, not a replacement viewer for other Tennessee counties.
Follow the parcel and scanned-file search steps →Find the official route
Prefer to handle it yourself? Find the official route.
What happened on the official site?
Choose how to send your request
Subject:
Formal TDEC public-records form: the form asks whether the requester is a Tennessee citizen. Start with the responsible field office if you are not eligible or are unsure.
Know what the file can prove.
A permit may show approved bedrooms, system type, or a layout drawing. It cannot confirm how the system performs today.
Search returned nothing? Send the address. We’ll investigate available sources →From public source
to a usable answer.
We preserve source boundaries, explain what was actually found, and tell you when a county—not TDEC—owns the route.
We chase the file. Then make it usable.
Selected full pages from separate completed requests: original agency records, hand-drawn plans, and the brief delivered after review.
Swipe to compare the original pages Document 1 of 3
What this helps withA starting point for discussing the layout with a septic professional.
What it does not proveThis is an approved design, not proof of the system’s current location or condition.
Open the delivered brief ↗Privacy reviewed: black bars remove identifying details; agency language, form structure, system data, and drawing geometry remain visible. Samples are from separate requests, not one property file. Record availability varies by property and jurisdiction.
- Search public sources
- Request agency files when needed
- Explain what comes back
Official sources, county ownership, and limitationsReviewed 2026-08-01
TDEC’s SSDS Record Search is the statewide online record route. Blount, Davidson, Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, Madison, Sevier, Shelby, and Williamson administer their own septic programs. TDEC’s June 2026 assistance map is used for the remaining county-to-field-office routing. A 403 is an access failure, not evidence that a property has no record.
Independent guide. SepticPath is not affiliated with TDEC or a Tennessee county. Official agencies control record availability and permit status.