Administrative overview · FIPS 48429
Stephens 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
Stephens County Commissioners Court / County Floodplain Contact; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Region 3 for OSSF
For a project in or near Stephens 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
Stephens County floodplain contact/County Treasurer: 254-559-7333; TCEQ Region 3 Abilene: 325-698-9674
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Stephens County Courthouse, 200 W Walker Street, Breckenridge, TX 76424; TCEQ Region 3, 1977 Industrial Boulevard, Abilene, TX 79602-7833
Operating hours
Operating hours not verified
Review expectation
No county floodplain review time was published. TCEQ must approve or deny a complete state-administered OSSF application and planning materials within 30 days.
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 Stephens County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Stephens County Commissioners Court / County Floodplain Contact; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Region 3 for OSSF 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 Stephens County floodplain contact/County Treasurer: 254-559-7333; TCEQ Region 3 Abilene: 325-698-9674 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
No county floodplain review time was published. TCEQ must approve or deny a complete state-administered OSSF application and planning materials within 30 days.
How are inspections scheduled?
Contact the Stephens County floodplain contact through County Treasurer Kelsey Cornwall at 254-559-7333 before construction in a mapped floodplain; no county online application or inspection scheduler is published. For a state-administered OSSF, submit the TCEQ application, site evaluation, planning materials, and fee to Region 3, then call 325-698-9674 to arrange the required construction inspection before the system is covered or operated.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Stephens County's current July 27, 2026 Subdivision Rules and Regulations govern land divisions in unincorporated areas under Texas Local Government Code Chapters 232 and 242 and require floodplain compliance under Texas Water Code Chapter 16. Construction in a mapped floodplain requires a Stephens County flood permit, and subdivision plats must show flood elevations and satisfy county drainage requirements. The county publishes no general building department and no adopted countywide IRC, IBC, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or fire-code edition. Unless a local OSSF authorized-agent status is confirmed for the site, septic permitting is administered by TCEQ Region 3 under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285. No county permit is published for ordinary cosmetic or structural work outside regulated floodplains and subdivision development. The 2026 subdivision rules exempt qualifying divisions without a public-use dedication, including land retained for qualifying agriculture/farm/ranch/wildlife/timber use, certain transfers creating four or fewer tracts for relatives within the third degree, divisions where every lot exceeds 10 acres, and other statutory categories; a public-use dedication triggers platting regardless. State OSSF exceptions may cover a qualifying 10-acre single-family tract, a qualifying grandfathered system, and specified emergency repairs reported within 72 hours.