Administrative overview · FIPS 48359
Oldham 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
Oldham County Judge/Floodplain Administration; TCEQ Region 1 OSSF Program
For a project in or near Oldham 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
Oldham County Judge/Floodplain Administrator Shawn Ballew: 806-639-2145; Oldham County Courthouse: 806-267-2667; TCEQ Region 1 - Amarillo: 806-353-9251; TCEQ OSSF Program: 512-239-3799
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Oldham County Courthouse, 105 South Main Street, Vega, TX 79092; TCEQ Region 1, 5809 South Western Street, Suite 260, Amarillo, TX 79110-3631
Operating hours
Oldham County Courthouse: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-12:00 PM and 1:00 PM-5:00 PM; 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 or building review timeline was published.
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 Oldham County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Oldham County Judge/Floodplain Administration; TCEQ Region 1 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 Oldham County Judge/Floodplain Administrator Shawn Ballew: 806-639-2145; Oldham County Courthouse: 806-267-2667; TCEQ Region 1 - Amarillo: 806-353-9251; 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 or building review timeline was published.
How are inspections scheduled?
Contact County Judge and Floodplain Administrator Shawn Ballew at 806-639-2145 before development in a potentially flood-prone area; the county publishes no online floodplain application or inspection-booking procedure. For septic work, submit current TCEQ Form 0235 with the legal description, site and soil evaluation, installer information, planning materials, and applicable fees to Region 1, then coordinate authorization and inspection at 806-353-9251. Do not begin construction before authorization or cover the system before required inspection.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Oldham County designates County Judge Shawn Ballew as its floodplain administrator, and the county participates in the NFIP despite being listed as never mapped. Texas OSSF requirements under Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285 are administered through TCEQ Region 1 where no authorized local agent serves the site. The county publishes no general structural building-code edition, zoning code, floodplain map, or current flood-damage-prevention order text 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.