Administrative overview · FIPS 27163
Washington County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
Municipal Fallback
This profile identifies a handoff outside the county’s ordinary structural permitting lane.
Required jurisdiction check
Confirm the controlling local or state authority before filing.
The record is marked Municipal Fallback. That means the county profile should be treated as a routing brief: incorporated municipalities, a state building department, or a state fire marshal may control plan review, permits, and inspections. Contact the named agency below and verify the parcel’s jurisdiction before paying a fee or scheduling field work.
Responsible agency
Washington County Public Works, Zoning Administrator / Public Health and Environment (SSTS)
For a project in or near Washington County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
Public Works/Zoning: 651-430-4300; Public Health and Environment/SSTS: 651-430-6655
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Washington County Public Works, 11660 Myeron Road North, Stillwater, MN 55082; Public Health and Environment, Government Center Room 4600, 14949 62nd Street North, Stillwater, MN 55082
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Review expectation
For county conditional-use applications, the Planning Advisory Commission holds a public hearing within 60 days after staff determines the application complete; Board of Adjustment matters generally have 60 days to decide, with a possible additional 60-day extension. No ordinary building-permit timeline is published because municipalities issue those permits. The county encourages online or in-person SSTS submissions for the quickest processing but publishes no fixed routine duration.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Washington County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact Public Works/Zoning: 651-430-4300; Public Health and Environment/SSTS: 651-430-6655.
How long might review take?
For county conditional-use applications, the Planning Advisory Commission holds a public hearing within 60 days after staff determines the application complete; Board of Adjustment matters generally have 60 days to decide, with a possible additional 60-day extension. No ordinary building-permit timeline is published because municipalities issue those permits. The county encourages online or in-person SSTS submissions for the quickest processing but publishes no fixed routine duration.
How are inspections scheduled?
Building inspections must be scheduled with the city or township building official. Washington County Public Works/Zoning conducts inspections for Development Code compliance; call 651-430-4300. SSTS installation inspections must be scheduled at least 24 hours before the work or inspection by calling Public Health and Environment at 651-430-6655; residential tank inspections may use the county's Survey123 remote-inspection process. Compliance inspections are required before septic-property sale or transfer unless the county's three-year existing-system or five-year new-system certificate exceptions apply.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Washington County does not issue building permits; its official permit page directs applicants to the city or township where the property is located. The county administers its Development Code in retained unincorporated areas and countywide SSTS and buffer functions, including subdivision, shoreland, floodplain, mining, buffer, and official-map regulations. The applicable Minnesota building-code edition and local amendments must therefore be confirmed with the municipal building authority; the county does not publish a separate county-enforced 2026 building-code edition. Building-permit exemptions are determined by the applicable city or township because Washington County does not issue building permits. For county authority, the Development Code applies only to retained unincorporated areas and specified functions; properties outside the county's shaded zoning-map areas should be checked with the township. No broad county cosmetic-maintenance exemption list was published. County SSTS permits are required for new septic tanks or soil-treatment areas, repairs or replacements, and changes or expansions to the served building or facility.