Little River County’s code of ordinances has no building permit: its Building article only requires electric companies to send the county a monthly list of new utility hookups, and its planning, zoning and flood articles are reserved. What the county does control is the county road right-of-way, where utilities, poles, fences and other encroachments need the written consent of the County Judge (870-898-7202). Ashdown’s Office of Code Enforcement and the City of Foreman issue building permits inside their limits.
Who issues building permits in Little River County?
The County Judge’s office is at 351 N. Second Street, Suite 4, Ashdown, and the Quorum Court meets at 9 a.m. on the second Monday of each month in the courthouse courtroom. The county posts its code of ordinances and each year’s ordinances on its website. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 populations are in brackets.
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Get a free quote →| Place | Who permits building work |
|---|---|
| Ashdown (4,135) | Office of Code Enforcement, (870) 898-4312, for permits for all trades and phases of construction and major repairs and remodels; City Hall, 251 N. 2nd Street, (870) 898-2622 |
| Foreman (951) | City of Foreman: application to the Mayor at City Hall, 209 Schuman St., (870) 542-6050; the City Council approves each permit |
| Wilton (289), Ogden (127), Winthrop (115) | The published sources do not say; ask the town hall |
| Unincorporated Little River County | No county building permit; County Judge consent for work in county road rights-of-way |
Ashdown: besides construction permits, the Office of Code Enforcement handles regulatory enforcement, restaurant inspections and residential property inspections. City Hall is open 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays.
Foreman: Title 11 of the City’s posted code requires a building permit before building a house, a multi-family building, a building for a business, commercial or manufacturing use or its related storage or warehousing, or a public utility structure, and before any remodeling that costs more than 50% of the building’s appraised value. The owner files the application in duplicate with the Mayor, the fee is $5, the City Council approves it, and the permit lapses after 90 days if work has not started. Plumbing permits come from the City’s plumbing inspector. Foreman adopted a zoning code and map on January 16, 2024, and the City Council itself serves as the planning commission and board of adjustment.
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Get a free quote →County road, address and flood rules
County road rights-of-way: Ordinance 0-2024-8, passed July 8, 2024, keeps county road easements free of encroachments unless the County Judge grants written permission. Digging in or placing utilities, poles, lines, fences, cables or wires in a county road right-of-way needs the Judge’s written consent and must follow the county’s utility accommodation permit rules. Burning in the right-of-way also needs the Judge’s permission, water may not be diverted onto the road, and nothing may stay parked on the shoulder for more than 48 hours. Violations carry a $1,000 fine and $500 for each day they continue. Heavy haul operations on county roads need a separate County Judge permit and bond.
Addresses: the 911 Coordinator, 351 N 3rd Street, Suite 101 ((870) 898-7203), issues new addresses. Rural buildings are numbered in 53 ft increments along each road, and numbers at least 3 inches high must go up within 30 days of notice.
Flood insurance: FEMA lists Little River County, Ogden and Wilton among the communities not in the National Flood Insurance Program; Ashdown and Foreman participate.
Septic systems: the Arkansas Department of Health office in Ashdown is at 150 Keller Street ((870) 898-3831). The department reviews onsite wastewater permits for systems under 1,500 gallons per day.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Data centers: Ordinance 2023-09, passed July 10, 2023, applies to data centers in the unincorporated county. Before building, the owner must notify residents within half a mile and the County Judge, commission a sound study and file a noise attenuation building plan with the County Judge and County Clerk. Sound may not reach 65 dBA from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. or 55 dBA overnight at the neighbor’s property line. An amendment posted on the county website as Ordinance 2026-15 would lower the limits to 55 and 45 dBA, but the posted copy is unsigned and its passage date is blank.
Building in Little River County, step by step
In Ashdown or Foreman, the city permit rules apply; elsewhere you are on county land with no county building permit.
Apply to the Department of Health in Ashdown for an onsite system where there is no sewer.
Water, power or fence lines in a county road right-of-way need the County Judge’s written consent first.
Call the 911 Coordinator for the new address and post the numbers.
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
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Get a free quote →Little River County permit FAQs
Does Little River County require a building permit?
No. The county code has no building permit. Ashdown and Foreman permit construction inside their limits.
Can I put a fence or water line in the county road right-of-way?
Only with the County Judge’s written consent under Ordinance 0-2024-8; unpermitted encroachments can be removed at the owner’s cost.
How much is a building permit in Foreman?
$5 under Title 11 of the City’s code, and the City Council approves each one.
Who handles permits in Ashdown?
The Office of Code Enforcement, at (870) 898-4312.
Is flood insurance available in rural Little River County?
FEMA lists the county as not participating in the National Flood Insurance Program; Ashdown and Foreman do participate.
Who assigns a new address?
The county’s 911 Coordinator, at (870) 898-7203.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Official Little River County permit resources
- Little River County Judge
- Little River County OEM / 911 Coordinator
- Little River County Quorum Court and ordinances
- Ordinance 0-2024-8: county road rights-of-way
- County Code Chapter 13: building and house numbering
- Little River County Road and Bridge
- City of Ashdown code enforcement and permits
- City of Foreman Title 11: building permits
- Arkansas Department of Health: Onsite Wastewater
- FEMA Community Status Book: Arkansas
Inspections are where schedules slip.
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More Arkansas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Little River County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.