County Permit SearchU.S. compliance directory
North DakotaFoster County

Administrative overview · FIPS 38031

Foster 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

County

This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.

Responsible agency

Foster County Planning and Zoning / Director of Tax Equalization

For a project in or near Foster 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

701-652-3060

Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.

Permit counter

1000 5th St N, Carrington, ND 58421 (Foster County Courthouse); mailing PO Box 257, Carrington, ND 58421

Operating hours

Operating hours not verified

Review expectation

Please allow three days to process building permits.

Compliance workbench

Choose the next project decision.

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 Foster County

Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?

Foster County Planning and Zoning / Director of Tax Equalization is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.

How should I begin an application?

No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact 701-652-3060 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.

How long might review take?

Please allow three days to process building permits.

How are inspections scheduled?

Submit the application, fee, scaled sketch, construction plans, and cost estimate to the Director of Tax Equalization. A certificate of occupancy may be issued after inspection; no separate inspection-booking procedure is published.

Which codes and exemptions should I review?

The county planning regulations incorporate the Uniform Building Code edition adopted by the County Commission, but the reviewed document does not state the edition; no specific 2026 code is identified. The fee schedule charges no application fee for work valued below $2,000, but the reviewed materials do not establish that such work is exempt from permitting.

Before contacting the permit counter

Have the project facts ready.

A productive call starts with a clear description of the property and proposed work. Keep the site address, parcel or assessor number, project valuation, existing occupancy, approximate square footage, structural scope, contractor information, and desired start date in front of you. Those facts help the Authority Having Jurisdiction route the question to building, planning, fire, environmental health, or another reviewing discipline.

Questions worth asking

  • • Is the parcel inside an incorporated city or county service area?
  • • Does this scope require building, trade, zoning, fire, or site permits?
  • • What plans and supporting documents make the submittal complete?
  • • How much lead time is needed for each inspection?