Administrative overview · FIPS 48073
Cherokee 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
Cherokee County Health Department / Cherokee County Commissioners Court and Floodplain Administration
For a project in or near Cherokee 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
903-586-6191 (Cherokee County Health Department); 903-683-2324 (County Judge); 903-683-5947 (Emergency Management/Floodplain contact)
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Cherokee County Health Department, 1502 S. Bolton Street, Jacksonville, TX 75766; Cherokee County Courthouse, 135 S. Main Street, Rusk, TX 75785
Operating hours
Cherokee County Court offices generally publish Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–5:00 PM; the Health Department asks applicants to contact it directly for current hours and service availability.
Review expectation
TCEQ OSSF applications must be approved or denied within 30 days of receipt of complete planning materials; Cherokee County publishes no general building-plan review timeline. The subdivision/floodplain packet states that the Floodplain Administrator decides after all required materials are submitted.
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 Cherokee County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Cherokee County Health Department / Cherokee County Commissioners Court and Floodplain Administration 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 903-586-6191 (Cherokee County Health Department); 903-683-2324 (County Judge); 903-683-5947 (Emergency Management/Floodplain contact) and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
TCEQ OSSF applications must be approved or denied within 30 days of receipt of complete planning materials; Cherokee County publishes no general building-plan review timeline. The subdivision/floodplain packet states that the Floodplain Administrator decides after all required materials are submitted.
How are inspections scheduled?
For floodplain development, complete the application packet and submit it to the local Floodplain Administrator; the administrator reviews the submission, requests additional material if necessary, issues or denies the permit, and performs inspections during and after the project. For septic work, contact Cherokee County Health Department at 903-586-6191 for the local OSSF application, soil/site evaluation, permit, and inspection process. TCEQ requires complete OSSF applications to be approved or denied within 30 days.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Cherokee County’s published 2025 subdivision regulations control unincorporated subdivision, access, drainage, floodplain review, and private OSSF planning. The county floodplain permit application requires a permit before any development in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, including buildings, additions, clearing, fill, grading, mining, dredging, drilling, roads, and parking. OSSF systems must comply with TCEQ Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285. No separate countywide ICC building-code edition was published; incorporated cities may enforce their own building codes. No general Cherokee County cosmetic-work exemption list or unincorporated building-permit exemption schedule was published. The 2025 subdivision regulations include exceptions for certain land divisions and transactions, but they do not waive applicable floodplain, access, drainage, or OSSF requirements. TCEQ’s conditional 10-acre single-family OSSF exemption and defined emergency-repair exception may apply only when every state and local condition is met; emergency repairs must be reported in writing within 72 hours.