Administrative overview · FIPS 48423
Smith 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
Smith County Road & Bridge Department / County Engineer (Floodplain Administrator) and Smith County OSSF Program (RTS Environmental LLC)
For a project in or near Smith 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
Smith County Road & Bridge: 903-590-4801; County Engineer: 903-590-4800; OSSF contractor RTS Environmental LLC: 903-630-4234
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Smith County Road & Bridge, 135 SSE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75702; floodplain permit mailing address: P.O. Box 990, Tyler, TX 75710
Operating hours
Smith County Road & Bridge: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; OSSF contractor hours: N/A
Review expectation
Ask the agency for its current review estimate
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 Smith County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Smith County Road & Bridge Department / County Engineer (Floodplain Administrator) and Smith County OSSF Program (RTS Environmental LLC) 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 Smith County Road & Bridge: 903-590-4801; County Engineer: 903-590-4800; OSSF contractor RTS Environmental LLC: 903-630-4234 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
A typical review timeline was not verified. Ask the agency for its current completeness and review estimate.
How are inspections scheduled?
For floodplain development, submit the county form and required scaled plans/elevation information to the County Engineer/Floodplain Administrator and contact Road & Bridge at 903-590-4801 for review and any inspection requirements. For a new or repaired OSSF, begin with a licensed installer; the installer coordinates the site evaluation, design, permit, and required inspections with RTS Environmental LLC. Call RTS at 903-630-4234 to verify whether a permit is required and to coordinate OSSF inspection; systems must be maintained and inspected.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Smith County's current official ordinance library states that, other than subdivision regulations, the county has no local building policies for construction in unincorporated areas. Regulated flood-hazard development is governed by the Smith County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance and applicable NFIP standards, including elevation or floodproofing requirements two feet above base flood elevation. Subdivisions are governed by the current Smith County Subdivision Regulations. OSSFs are governed by Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285 through the county's authorized program. The county publishes no general permit requirement for ordinary building or cosmetic work in unincorporated areas outside its floodplain, subdivision, right-of-way, and OSSF authorities. In flood-hazard areas, listed low-damage unrestricted uses include qualifying agriculture, lawns, gardens, parking/play areas, and certain recreation or open-space uses; other development requires a county permit. A single-family OSSF on a tract of at least 10 acres needs no planning materials, permit, or inspection only when it causes no nuisance or groundwater pollution, every component is at least 100 feet from the property line, effluent remains onsite, and it serves the tract's only dwelling.