Crittenden County, Arkansas Building Permit Guide

Crittenden County has county zoning regulations for its unincorporated land, first adopted on April 11, 1974, together with subdivision regulations and a land use plan. The Crittenden County Planning Board reviews special uses such as meteorological towers, and the Quorum Court grants special use permits by ordinance. In the cities, Marion’s Community Development & Planning Department (870-739-5410) and West Memphis’s Planning & Development Department (870-732-7520) issue building and trade permits, and Turrell takes building permit applications at City Hall.

Who issues permits in Crittenden County?

The County Judge’s office is in the courthouse at 100 Court Square, Marion, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays ((870) 739-3200). The Judge runs the county road system, oversees the Office of Emergency Management and administers the ordinances the Quorum Court passes. The Quorum Court meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 populations are shown in the table.

Turrell: Ordinance 2021-02-02 (February 2, 2021), which repealed the 2011 building permit ordinance, requires a City building permit to build, enlarge, alter or otherwise change a home or commercial building. It charges 16 cents per square foot for new homes or additions that add floor area and 19 cents per square foot for commercial and storage buildings; the City’s application form also lists a $7 basic fee. Applications with building plans go to the Mayor at City Hall in duplicate; the City Building Inspector reviews each one and the City Council then approves it. Under the ordinance a permit is void if work has not begun within 90 days unless it is renewed (the form says 6 months; the ordinance governs). Violations are fined $100 a day, and the City provides no utility service to a building put up without a permit until the fees and fines are paid.

County zoning, wind energy and flood rules

Zoning and the Planning Board: the County Court adopted Crittenden County’s zoning regulations on April 11, 1974 and set up a Joint Planning Commission to run them. A 2026 ordinance, on the Quorum Court’s May 26, 2026 agenda for its second and third readings, created the Crittenden County Planning Board and moved the commission’s powers to it; the Board held a public hearing on June 25, 2026, according to the ordinances the Quorum Court passed on August 18. The Board holds public hearings and recommends special use permits, which the Quorum Court then grants by ordinance: an RV park was on the June 16, 2026 agenda, and on August 18, 2026 the Court passed a special use permit for a 320 ft meteorological tower near Tyronza, with a $30,000 letter of credit for removal required before a building permit is issued.

Wind energy: Ordinance 2026-9, the Crittenden County Wind Energy Systems Ordinance, adds wind turbines to the zoning regulations. The text presented on May 26, 2026 requires a use permit application with a site plan and a decommissioning plan. Fees are $250 for a small system and, for a utility-scale project, $50,000 plus a $100,000 escrow and $5,000 per turbine when building permits are issued. Utility-scale projects exempt from Act 945 of 2025 must be set back at least 1,500 feet from occupied buildings in non-participant areas, and small systems and Act 945-exempt projects are held to 45 dBA at night and 50 dBA by day at homes and businesses; projects under Act 945 follow the Act. On August 28, 2026 the County Clerk found the initiative petitions seeking to amend Ordinance 2026-9 insufficient. A solar and battery-storage ordinance was the topic of the Alternative Energy Committee’s October 19, 2026 meeting; the Quorum Court’s October 20, 2026 agenda carried no solar ordinance.

Flood zones: the county has been in the National Flood Insurance Program since November 1, 1985, with a current flood map dated May 3, 2011. Clarkedale, Earle, Edmondson, Horseshoe Lake, Marion, Turrell and West Memphis participate, and Anthonyville and Crawfordsville participate with no mapped special flood hazard area. FEMA lists Gilmore and Jennette as not participating, and Jericho and Sunset do not appear.

Septic systems: onsite wastewater permits come through the Arkansas Department of Health, which has Crittenden County health units in Earle (870-792-7393) and West Memphis (870-735-4334).

Arkansas building code

Arkansas’s building code is the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code, adopted by the State Fire Marshal and in force statewide since 1 January 2023; building permits are issued locally where a city or county runs a permit program, and the plumbing, gas, mechanical, energy and electrical codes are adopted by separate state agencies. The Arkansas codes

Crittenden County permit FAQs

Does Crittenden County have zoning?

Yes. County zoning regulations have been in place since April 11, 1974, along with subdivision regulations, and the Crittenden County Planning Board reviews special uses for the Quorum Court.

Who approves a special use permit in Crittenden County?

The Planning Board holds a public hearing and makes a recommendation, and the Quorum Court grants the permit by ordinance.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Marion or West Memphis?

Marion charges $0.15 per square foot; West Memphis charges $0.12 per square foot with a $45 minimum.

Who issues building permits in Earle?

The published sources do not say; Earle city hall is at (870) 792-7300.

Can I build a wind turbine in rural Crittenden County?

Only under the 2026 Wind Energy Systems Ordinance, which requires a use permit application, fees, setbacks and noise limits.

Is Crittenden County in the flood insurance program?

Yes, since 1985. Gilmore and Jennette are not.

Official Crittenden County permit resources

• Crittenden County Judge
• Crittenden County Quorum Court agendas
• Quorum Court agenda, May 26, 2026: Planning Board and wind energy ordinances
• Quorum Court agenda, August 18, 2026: special use permits
• County Clerk notice on Ordinance 2026-9 petitions (August 28, 2026)
• City of Turrell: apply for a permit
• City of Turrell Ordinance 2021-02-02: building permits
• City of Turrell building permit application
• Arkansas Department of Health local health unit directory
• Arkansas Department of Health: Onsite Wastewater
• FEMA Community Status Book: Arkansas

Simplify Crittenden County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Arkansas. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Crittenden County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.