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TexasMorris County

Administrative overview · FIPS 48343

Morris 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

Morris County Judge and Emergency Management/Floodplain Administration; TCEQ Region 5 OSSF Program

For a project in or near Morris 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

Morris County Judge/Emergency Management and Floodplain Administration: 903-645-3691; TCEQ Region 5 - Tyler: 903-535-5100; TCEQ OSSF Program: 512-239-3799

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

Permit counter

Morris County Courthouse, 500 Broadnax Street, Suite B, Daingerfield, TX 75638; TCEQ Region 5, 2916 Teague Drive, Tyler, TX 75701-3734

Operating hours

Morris County Courthouse: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM excluding holidays; most offices close 12:00 PM-1:00 PM and the county advises calling ahead. TCEQ offices: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM except state holidays.

Review expectation

TCEQ must approve a complete OSSF application or issue a written denial within 30 days. No county floodplain, subdivision, or building review timeline was published.

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 Morris County

Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?

Morris County Judge and Emergency Management/Floodplain Administration; TCEQ Region 5 OSSF Program 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?

Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact Morris County Judge/Emergency Management and Floodplain Administration: 903-645-3691; TCEQ Region 5 - Tyler: 903-535-5100; TCEQ OSSF Program: 512-239-3799.

How long might review take?

TCEQ must approve a complete OSSF application or issue a written denial within 30 days. No county floodplain, subdivision, or building review timeline was published.

How are inspections scheduled?

Contact County Judge Doug Reeder or Emergency Management Coordinator Chuck Clemens at 903-645-3691 before development in a mapped flood hazard area; the county publishes no online floodplain scheduling procedure. For septic work, submit current TCEQ Form 0235 with the legal description, site and soil evaluation, installer information, and planning materials to Region 5, then coordinate authorization and inspection at 903-535-5100. Do not begin construction before authorization or cover the system before required inspection.

Which codes and exemptions should I review?

Morris County maintains a county floodplain administrator and publishes 2014 Subdivision and Plat Regulations. Texas OSSF requirements under Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285 are administered through TCEQ Region 5 where no authorized local agent serves the site. No general county structural building-code edition or current flood-damage-prevention ordinance text was published for unincorporated property in 2026. No county minor or cosmetic building-work exemption list was published. State OSSF permitting has a narrow exemption for one single-family residence on an undivided tract of at least 10 acres when a licensed site evaluator or professional engineer confirms the conditions, every system component is at least 100 feet from the property line, effluent remains on the tract, and the system creates no nuisance or groundwater pollution. Emergency OSSF repairs must be reported in writing within 72 hours; qualifying older, unaltered systems may remain grandfathered only while they do not create a nuisance.

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?