Maryland septic license and registration: what you need now and what the 2026 deadline means

Published November 8, 2026 · Rules checked November 8, 2026

• Free to read. The 30-day checklist is also a free printable (Google Docs, Word or PDF). The files come by email.
• Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors (scheduling, quotes, invoicing, card payments). The section before the FAQ says where it fits and where it doesn't.
• Not legal advice. Every rule here links to the statute, regulation or official page it comes from. I didn't contact MDE or the Board for this page; the Board's answer to you beats my reading.

Today a Maryland septic worker holds a registration, not a license. Every person who leads on-site wastewater work (pumping, installing, repairing, maintenance, design or sale inspections) registers with MDE and the State Board of On-Site Wastewater Professionals for $150, good for two years. Helpers and diggers don't register.^3,4 Registrations from before 2026 have to be renewed before December 31, 2026.⁵ Counties add their own pumper and hauler licenses on top.^4,14

The license is the confusing part. The 2022 law that created the Board set July 1, 2026 as the date by which everyone must be licensed. A 2026 bill to push that to 2028 died in April. I found no license application, license fee or licensing regulation as of today, and the law's own grandfather clause says registered people may keep working until those rules exist.^1,2,7 Below: who registers, the two sentences of the law side by side, what the Board has done this year, what to do now, sale inspections, county licenses, the certifications for mounds and BAT units, and a 30-day checklist. If you're new to pumping, how to price a pump-out and what the truck and insurance cost are the next two reads.

The 30-day checklist is also a printable: make your own copy in Google Docs (lands in your Drive), download the Word version (.docx), or download the PDF. Pick a format, enter your email and I'll send the links. It has a row for each lead worker's registration and certifications, the county license blanks, and a message to the Board you can send as it is.

What you hold now: the registration

MDE's page puts it in one sentence: "Until the Board implements its new licensing requirements and procedures, §9-11A-15 requires any individual who provides on-site wastewater services in Maryland to register with the Board. Registration is valid for a 2-year period."³ The fee is $150, and "This $150 registration fee must be paid every 2 years thereafter until the Board is seated and sets its own licensing requirements and fees."⁴

What it covers: "An on-site wastewater service is any activity associated with the design, installation, operation and maintenance, pumping, repair or property transfer inspection of an on-site wastewater system."⁴ One fee covers all of it. In MDE's words, it "registers you regardless of how many different septic services you provide (pumper, installer, operations and maintenance, etc.)."⁴

Sources for the table: MDE's registration FAQ and the Board's page.^3,4

Three more things from the same pages. The registration is the person's, not the company's: when an employee you paid for quits, "the registration fee covers individuals, not a business," so no refund.⁴ It doesn't ask for insurance: "No, this is solely for registration, not a license."⁴ And the county checks it: "The local approving authority will verify individuals are registered prior to issuing any septic construction permits."⁴

The renewal before December 31, 2026

MDE's list of registered individuals, updated November 2, 2026, carries this line in red: "All other individuals that are registered to perform on-site services must renew registration before 12/31/26. Notices have been sent via USPS."⁵ On that list, 1,635 of the 2,066 entries show 12/31/2026 as their expiry. People added this year show 12/31/2028, so if you registered in 2026 you don't renew now, but the older registrants on your crew probably do. Look each name up on the list rather than guessing.

A lot of new names on that list aren't new businesses. Registration numbers run in order, and since October 2025 the list has added 238 of them, about 18 a month. By my count, 87 of those 238 people work for a company (by name or email domain) that already had someone on the list.⁵ Plumbing firms add septic work all the time. One Michigan plumber who added a pump truck told Pumper magazine: "I was always being told by my plumbing customers that local pumpers were too busy to fit them in."¹⁶

The license deadline: what the law says

The Board was created by Chapter 419 of 2022 (House Bill 318). Two parts of that law matter to you, and they belong side by side.^1,2

The same law told MDE to adopt the licensing regulations "on or before July 1, 2025."¹ The legislature's own analysts described the result in January 2026: MDE had issued emergency rules for property transfer inspectors only, and "it is unclear, in the absence of the bill, whether regulations will be in effect in time to meet the statutory deadline for on-site wastewater service professionals to obtain a license from the board."⁶

MDE's pages say both things. The Board page opens with "Effective as of December 31, 2022 the law requires any individual who provides an on-site wastewater (septic) service to be licensed by the Board," and a few lines down tells you to register until the Board's licensing is in place.³

Read together, I think the registration still lets you work, as long as you keep it current and follow state and county rules. That is my reading, and a lawyer or the Board may see it differently. The July 1, 2026 date is in the law, it has passed, and nothing I found says how MDE treats it. That gap is why this page tells you to ask.

The 2026 bills that would have moved the date, and didn't pass

• HB 146 and its cross-file SB 165 would have moved the license date to July 1, 2028 and MDE's regulation deadline to July 1, 2027.⁶
• HB 146 passed the House 93 to 36 on February 20, 2026. The Senate passed it with amendments on April 9. The House refused to concur, a conference committee was named, and on April 10 the Senate refused to recede. Its status still reads "In the Senate - Senate Refuses to Recede." It never went to the Governor.⁷
• SB 165 passed the Senate 29 to 11 on April 9 and was referred to the House Rules committee, where it stopped. Its status reads "In the House - First Reading House Rules and Executive Nominations."⁸
• The Board's April 15, 2026 minutes: "HB146 / SB165 of 2026 was not passed by the legislature during the 2026 Session."⁹

What the Board has done this year, and what I couldn't find

This is what the Board's posted minutes and agendas show, as of November 8, 2026. It's what I found, not a statement of what MDE plans.⁹

• February 18: Board counsel had advised "there is no specific statutory language that authorizes the Board to require the insurance or bonding of licensees or potential licensees," so the Board dropped that topic. It also decided "to not address standards of practice in the current regulation recommendation, and to focus only on licensing topics."
• March to June: closed sessions with counsel on "the regulation recommendation document."
• June 17: the Board voted "to approve the Board's final recommendation for the regulations to license on-site wastewater professionals, and to send the document to MDE for review." The same minutes describe an online licensing portal MDE's Water Supply Program is building, called WAVES: once it works for the waterworks operators' board, "a version of the portal will be adopted for our use."
• July 15: the recommendation's chapters were named as "Chapter 2 Licensure, Chapter 3 Training Course Requirements, and Chapter 5 Licensing Registered On-Site Wastewater Professionals."
• September and October agendas: issuing PTI licenses, a complaint form, an enforcement process, a standards-of-practice subcommittee, and a draft of COMAR 26.04.02 (the septic system rules) sent to stakeholders.
• The September and October minutes and the November and December agendas were placeholders reading "will be uploaded when finalized."

What I couldn't find: a license application, a license fee, or a proposed licensing regulation. The Board's chapter of the Maryland regulations, COMAR 26.31, holds one chapter, and it covers property transfer inspectors only.¹⁰ MDE's application form is still the registration form.³

What to do now

1. Keep every lead worker's registration current. Check each name and expiry on MDE's registered list, and mail the renewals that expire 12/31/2026 well before then.⁵
2. Ask the Board in writing, and keep the reply. Send it to OWWP.Board@Maryland.gov (the address on the Board's page and its registered list). Something like: "I am registered with MDE to provide on-site wastewater services (registration no. ..., expires ...). Chapter 419 says individuals must be licensed by the Board by July 1, 2026, and § 9-11A-15(a)(2) lets a registered individual continue until the licensing requirements are set by regulation. Can I keep working on my registration today, and when will license applications open?"
3. Watch for the license. The Board meets on the third Wednesday of the month and posts agendas about two weeks ahead on its meetings page.³ A proposed regulation would also appear in the Maryland Register with a comment period.
4. Don't let anyone work on your registration. § 9-11A-20 says no one may provide these services unless licensed (or covered by the registration clause), and "A license may not be borrowed, rented, or transferred to another individual." The Board can fine up to $1,000 a day for violations.²

Property transfer inspections: the PTI license

Inspecting a septic system for a home sale needs its own license. Since July 1, 2022 an inspector has needed a property transfer inspection license,¹ and "In November of 2025, the authority to issue property transfer inspection licenses was transferred to the State Board of On-Site Wastewater Professionals, codified in COMAR 26.31.01."¹¹

• To get it: an application, the $150 fee, and a certificate from an MDE-approved inspection course, or being on MDE's list of people who completed one by July 1, 2022.¹⁰
• It lasts two years. "Sixty days prior to expiration of an on-site wastewater property transfer inspection license, an individual shall apply for licensure renewal." MDE's page adds: "At this time, there are no CEU requirements to renew this license."^10,11
• Every inspection: "the MDE Standard Inspection Form must also be completed with each inspection." Keep the records five years and hand them over when MDE asks.^10,11
• It counts as your registration: one $150 fee.³
• Each system "that an individual knowingly inspects without a valid on-site wastewater property transfer inspection license constitutes a separate violation."¹⁰

One date to watch. COMAR 26.31.01 was "adopted as an emergency provision effective November 25, 2025," and its "emergency status extended to November 28, 2026."¹⁰ I didn't find what replaces it after that date. If you hold or want a PTI license, ask the Board.

No state law requires a septic inspection at every Maryland home sale today. The 2026 bill would have added one (the last section below).

County licenses on top

MDE's FAQ answers the question every pumper asks: "The county I do most of my business in has a septic license fee and a septage hauler license fee annually. Do I still have to get these licenses and pay these fees?" "Yes, the State law and regulations do not override any county or local requirements."⁴ Two examples:

• Montgomery County: a Sewage Sludge Utilization License "must be obtained by any person or company engaged in the business of cleaning and emptying septic tanks, holding tanks, privies or other sewage disposal facilities." The county issues it once the application is approved, a discharge location is authorized and the truck passes inspection, and "All licenses expire on February 1st of each calendar year."¹⁴
• Cecil County: to dump at county facilities you need "a valid septage hauler permit issued by the Cecil County Health Department and a valid septage discharge permit" from Public Works, with "A separate septage discharge permit" for each truck, running July 1 to June 30.¹⁵

I checked only those two. Call the health department in every county you'll work in, ask about a septic contractor license and a hauler license, and ask where you're allowed to dump.

Certifications for the systems you install or service

The registered list has columns for a licensed PTI, Sand Mound Installer Certified, At-Grade Installer Certified, BAT Installer Certified and BAT O&M Certified.⁵ Here is what the septic regulations say each one is for.

Sources for the table: COMAR 26.04.02.05 U and V, and 26.04.02.07 G to I.^12,13 MDE lists its own courses as Sand Mound Systems Installation, At-Grade Mound Systems Installation and BAT Systems Installation.³

BAT units: the yearly service

Nitrogen-removing BAT units are where Maryland septic work recurs on a schedule. "All BAT systems sold in the State shall include both a two-year operation and maintenance contract and a two-year warranty." After that the owner keeps the unit under one of three arrangements, the common one being a certified service provider, and "The owner shall ensure the BAT system is inspected and has necessary operation and maintenance performed at a minimum of once per year." The provider reports each service to MDE or its designee "on a yearly basis prior to the yearly anniversary of the date of installation."¹³

So every BAT you service is a customer who needs you once a year, with a report date tied to the day the unit went in. The septic maintenance agreement template already has a Maryland BAT note and the yearly inspection built in.

A watch item: pump-outs at sale and between tenants

The 2026 bill wasn't only about dates. As the House passed it, HB 146 would have required landlords to have the system "inspected and pumped out" by July 1, 2028 and before each new tenant, and from July 1, 2028 every sale contract for a home on septic would have required, "as a condition of the sale, that the purchaser ensure the system has been inspected and pumped out."⁶ The Senate's version (SB 165 as passed) kept only the date changes. Neither became law. A similar bill, HB 747, came up in 2025, so it may come back. If it passes, sale inspections and pump-outs become steady work for anyone holding a PTI license and a truck.

Your first 30 days: a checklist for a Maryland septic business

This is the same list as the printable.

Week 1: the state registration

1. Check that every lead worker is on MDE's registered list, or mail their application and $150 to MDE, P.O. Box 2057, Baltimore, MD 21203. Helpers don't register.^3,4
2. Renew every registration that expires 12/31/2026 before that date.⁵
3. Plumbers on staff who'll touch drainfield lines or outdoor grease traps: register them too.⁴
4. Email the Board your question about the license (the message above) and file the reply.
5. Put your registration number in your quote terms and on your invoices.

Week 2: county licenses and where you dump

6. Call the health department in each county you'll work in about septic and hauler licenses.⁴
7. Montgomery County: Sewage Sludge Utilization License and truck inspection (expires every February 1). Cecil County: hauler permit and a discharge permit per truck.^14,15
8. Line up a plant or county facility for your loads, and write down its fee and whether it bills on truck capacity or on what you dump. That number goes into your pump-out price.
9. Price insurance: truck, general liability and pollution. The registration doesn't require it, and in February 2026 the Board's counsel said the statute doesn't authorize an insurance or bond requirement.^4,9 Your trucks, your customers and some counties will want it anyway. Contractor insurance covers what to buy first.

Weeks 3 and 4: certifications, sale inspections and BAT customers

10. Installing mounds or at-grade systems: get the person who'll be on site certified for each, and write down the expiry.¹²
11. Installing BAT units: MDE's BAT installation course plus each maker's certification, and report each install within a month.¹³
12. Servicing BAT units: the O&M course and the maker's certificate for each brand you service.¹³
13. Sign BAT owners to a yearly maintenance agreement once the maker's two years run out.¹³
14. Doing sale inspections: the PTI license, MDE's Standard Inspection Form, and a place to keep five years of records.^10,11
15. Hiring your first helper: how to hire your first employee covers payroll, comp and the paperwork.

On the calendar

16. Registration renewals: before 12/31/2026 for older registrations, then every two years.⁵
17. PTI license: apply to renew 60 days before it expires, and ask the Board about November 28, 2026.¹⁰
18. Sand mound and at-grade certifications: every three years.¹²
19. Each BAT customer's service and report, before the install anniversary.¹³
20. County licenses: Montgomery by February 1, Cecil by June 30.^14,15
21. The Board's agenda each month, until a license application appears.³

More for new septic businesses

• How to price septic pumping: flat or per gallon, lids, digging, hoses and disposal, with a free price sheet.
• Septic pumping business costs: the truck, the CDL line, insurance and disposal before the first job.
• Septic maintenance agreement template: the contract for BAT and other systems that need yearly service.
• Contractor insurance: what to buy first and what it costs.
• How to hire your first employee: the first helper on the truck.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel is the field service software I build, and it doesn't know Maryland septic rules. It won't renew a registration, file a BAT report with MDE, or tell you what the Board decides. Three parts of it help with what's above. The shop-wide terms text you set once is copied onto every new quote, and the invoice footer onto every invoice, so your registration number goes on every document without retyping. The tank or BAT unit is an equipment record at the customer's address, with make, model, serial and year, plus rows you name for the tank size, the lid depth or the install date, so the next visit starts with the facts. And for BAT owners after the maker's two years, the service plans module on Pro keeps the ledger of yearly services owed against delivered, charges the card on the agreement's schedule or sends a scheduled invoice, and emails the owner a reminder when the service comes due, on wording and a schedule you approve. Free covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team; Pro is $29 a month for unlimited estimates and invoices (pricing).

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a license to pump septic tanks in Maryland?

Today you need a registration. Every individual who leads septic work in Maryland, pumping included, registers with MDE and the State Board of On-Site Wastewater Professionals for $150 every two years; helpers and diggers don't. The law also says everyone must be licensed by the Board by July 1, 2026, but it lets registered individuals keep working until MDE sets the licensing requirements by regulation, and as of November 8, 2026 I found no license application. Counties add their own hauler licenses on top. Ask the Board in writing before you rely on this.

How much does Maryland septic registration cost?

$150 per individual, valid for two years. One fee covers every kind of on-site wastewater service: pumping, installing, repairing, maintenance and design. A property transfer inspection license costs the same $150 and counts as the registration, so an inspector pays once. County licenses, such as Montgomery County's yearly Sewage Sludge Utilization License for pumpers, are separate.

Did Maryland extend the July 1, 2026 septic license deadline?

No. HB 146 and SB 165 of 2026 would have moved it to July 1, 2028. HB 146 passed the House, the Senate amended it, and the session ended with the Senate refusing to recede on April 10, 2026. SB 165 passed the Senate and stopped at first reading in the House. The Board's April 15, 2026 minutes say the bills were not passed. The July 1, 2026 date is still in Chapter 419, next to the clause that lets registrants keep working until licensing regulations exist.

Do my employees need to register with MDE?

The ones who lead the work do. MDE's answer: "Any employee who acts as a primary lead in providing on-site wastewater services (including on a job site) must register and pay the registration fee. Additional laborers or helpers (diggers, people who move materials, etc.) do not have to register or pay the registration fee." The registration belongs to the person, so it goes with them if they leave, and the fee isn't refunded.

How do I become a septic inspector for home sales in Maryland?

Get a property transfer inspection license from the Board: an application, a $150 fee, and a certificate from an MDE-approved inspection course (or being on MDE's list of people who completed one by July 1, 2022). It lasts two years; apply to renew 60 days before it expires. Every inspection uses MDE's Standard Inspection Form, and you keep the records five years. The rules are COMAR 26.31.01, an emergency regulation whose status runs to November 28, 2026, so ask the Board what replaces it.

Do I need a county license as well as the state registration?

Often. MDE says the state law and regulations "do not override any county or local requirements." Montgomery County requires a Sewage Sludge Utilization License, with a truck inspection, from anyone in the business of emptying septic tanks, renewed every February 1. Cecil County requires a hauler permit from its Health Department and a discharge permit for each truck to dump at county facilities. Call the health department in each county you'll work in.

Sources

1. Chapter 419 of 2022 (House Bill 318, "Environment - On-Site Wastewater Services - Regulation"), approved May 16, 2022: Section 6 (MDE to adopt regulations "on or before July 1, 2025") and Section 7 ("on or before July 1, 2026, all individuals who provide on-site wastewater services in the State shall be licensed by the State Board of On-Site Wastewater Professionals"). mgaleg.maryland.gov (PDF), read November 8, 2026.
2. Annotated Code of Maryland, Environment Article § 9-11A-01 (definition of on-site wastewater services), § 9-11A-15 (license required; (a)(2) lets an individual continue "until the licensing requirements are established by the Department by regulation" on paying $150 by December 31, 2022 and every 2 years after; a license is valid 2 years), § 9-11A-20 (no services without a license except under § 9-11A-15(a); "A license may not be borrowed, rented, or transferred to another individual"), § 9-11A-22 and § 9-11A-23 (civil and administrative penalties "not exceeding $1,000 per day for all violations cited on a single day"). mgaleg.maryland.gov, read November 8, 2026.
3. Maryland Department of the Environment, "State Board of On-Site Wastewater Professionals" (formation and purpose; current registration requirements; PTI license fulfills the registration; agency employees exempt; meetings every third Wednesday; contact OWWP.Board@Maryland.gov and 410-537-3778; MDE certification courses). mde.maryland.gov, read November 8, 2026.
4. MDE, "On-Site Systems - Wastewater Service Professionals" (the $150 fee every 2 years; services covered; one fee for all services; lead workers register, helpers don't; plumbers within 10 feet; engineers; no refunds; no insurance required; counties verify registration before construction permits; county licenses not overridden). mde.maryland.gov, read November 8, 2026.
5. MD State Board of On-Site Wastewater Professionals, list of registered individuals, licensed PTIs and certified individuals, "List Updated November 2, 2026" ("All other individuals that are registered to perform on-site services must renew registration before 12/31/26. Notices have been sent via USPS."; certification columns). mde.maryland.gov (PDF), read November 8, 2026. The counts are mine: 2,066 entries, 1,635 expiring 12/31/2026; 238 registration numbers above 02367, the highest on the October 2025 list.
6. Department of Legislative Services, Fiscal and Policy Note for SB 165 (First Reader, January 30, 2026) and for HB 146 (Third Reader - Revised): Chapter 419's provisions, the emergency PTI regulations, "it is unclear, in the absence of the bill, whether regulations will be in effect in time", and the landlord and sale pump-out requirements from July 1, 2028. SB 165 note, HB 146 note, read November 8, 2026.
7. Maryland General Assembly, HB 146 (2026 Regular Session): status "In the Senate - Senate Refuses to Recede"; history from pre-filing on October 7, 2025 to the Senate refusing to recede on April 10, 2026; Third Reading Passed (93-36) on February 20, 2026. mgaleg.maryland.gov, read November 8, 2026.
8. Maryland General Assembly, SB 165 (2026 Regular Session, "Environment - On-Site Wastewater Systems - Implementation Dates" as passed by the Senate): Third Reading Passed (29-11) on April 9, 2026; status "In the House - First Reading House Rules and Executive Nominations". mgaleg.maryland.gov, read November 8, 2026.
9. State Board of On-Site Wastewater Professionals, open session minutes of February 18, March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17, July 15 and August 19, 2026, and agendas of September 16 and October 21, 2026; the September and October minutes and the November and December agendas were placeholders. Meeting schedule, agendas and minutes, read November 8, 2026.
10. COMAR Title 26, Subtitle 31 (State Board of On-Site Wastewater Professionals), Chapter 01: .02 (applicability), .03 (licensure: $150, 2 years, renewal application 60 days before expiry, records kept 5 years), .07 (each system inspected without a license is a separate violation); Administrative History: "adopted as an emergency provision effective November 25, 2025 (52:25 Md. R. 1306); emergency status extended to November 28, 2026 (53:13 Md. R. 583)". regs.maryland.gov, read November 8, 2026.
11. MDE, "On-site Systems - Property Transfer Inspectors" (authority moved to the Board in November 2025; Standard Inspection Form with every inspection; records kept a minimum of 5 years; renewal every 2 years at $150; "At this time, there are no CEU requirements to renew this license"). mde.maryland.gov, read November 8, 2026.
12. COMAR 26.04.02.05 U(6) and (7) (sand mounds: certified installer present; "A sand mound system may only be installed by a certified installer"; course and exam; valid 3 years) and V(6) (at-grade systems: "may only be installed by a certified installer"; valid 3 years). regs.maryland.gov, read November 8, 2026.
13. COMAR 26.04.02.07, Best Available Technology for Removal of Nitrogen (BAT): E (owner maintains the system for its life; inspection and O&M "at a minimum of once per year"), F (two-year O&M contract and two-year warranty with every BAT sold), G (certified service providers: course, yearly report before the anniversary, manufacturer's certificate of qualification), H and I (installer present; install reported within 1 month). regs.maryland.gov, read November 8, 2026.
14. Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services, "Sewage Sludge Utilization Permit Process" (license required of anyone in the business of emptying septic tanks; expires February 1 each year; discharge location and truck inspection; reciprocal license for trucks inspected in another Maryland county in the last 6 months). montgomerycountymd.gov, read November 8, 2026.
15. Cecil County Code, Chapter 301, Septage Hauling and Discharge, §§ 301-1 and 301-2 (hauler permit from the Health Department and a discharge permit per truck; July 1 to June 30). ecode360.com, read November 8, 2026.
16. Pumper, "Michigan Plumber Expands Into Septic Pumping," August 2026. pumper.com, read November 8, 2026.