Mississippi County, Arkansas Building Permit Guide

Mississippi County government publishes no building permit for unincorporated land: its permit-forms page carries only records and youth work permits, and the quorum court records it posts (through July 2024) create no county building permit. The county office a rural builder deals with is the 911/Floodplain Management office ((870) 563-1309), which addresses new structures and administers the county’s floodplain management program. Septic systems go through the county health units. Inside Blytheville, Osceola, Keiser and Dell the town issues the permit.

Who issues building permits in Mississippi County?

The county keeps two courthouses, at 200 West Walnut in Blytheville (870-763-3212) and 200 West Hale Ave. in Osceola (870-563-2242), both open 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Neither is a building permit counter. Building permits come from the towns below; populations are Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates.

Osceola’s commercial permit adds a non-residential construction surcharge of $0.50 per $1,000 of construction value, capped at $1,000. An Osceola permit becomes void if work does not start within 6 months, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 6 months at any time after it starts. Osceola’s plumbing permit is $7 plus $1 per fixture, its electrical permit $7 plus $0.15 per conductor supply and its HVAC permit $7.

Addresses, flood rules, roads and septic

911 addresses: structures outside city limits carry addresses based on the county road numbers. The 911/Floodplain Management office addresses new structures, keeps the road centerlines and maps and maintains the county road number signs; it is the office to ask for the address of a new home or business.

Flood insurance and floodplain permits: FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Mississippi County as a participating community with a current flood map dated June 18, 2010, and the same office administers the county’s floodplain management program, so it is the county contact for any site in a mapped flood zone. Blytheville, Osceola, Gosnell, Leachville, Manila, Luxora, Keiser, Joiner, Dyess, Burdette and Etowah are also participating communities; Dell, Marie and Wilson appear in FEMA’s list of communities not in the program, and Bassett, Birdsong and Victoria are not listed.

County roads: the Road Department, 795 North County Road 599, Luxora ((870) 658-2362, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays), maintains county roads and their rights-of-way, and is the office to ask about a driveway or culvert onto a county road.

Septic systems: the Mississippi County Health Department lists septic tanks among its environmental health services, at 1299 N 10th Street, Blytheville ((870) 763-7064) and 720 West Lee, Osceola ((870) 563-2521). Its Environmental Health Specialists take onsite wastewater permit applications for systems under 1,500 gallons per day.

Steps for building in Mississippi County

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

Mississippi County permit FAQs

Does Mississippi County issue building permits?

No county building permit is published for unincorporated land. The county’s 911/Floodplain Management office handles addresses and the floodplain program, and the towns issue building permits.

Who issues building permits in Osceola?

The City of Osceola’s Code Enforcement and Building Inspection department at 303 W Hale ((870) 563-5245). A house is charged $7 plus $0.03 per square foot.

How much is a building permit in Keiser?

$10 for the first $1,000 of building cost, then $2.25 for each further $1,000 up to $15,000 and $1.75 for each $1,000 above that up to $100,000, under Ordinance 2017-2.

How do I get a 911 address in rural Mississippi County?

Call the county’s 911/Floodplain Management office at (870) 563-1309.

Who permits septic systems?

The Arkansas Department of Health, through the Mississippi County Health Department units in Blytheville and Osceola.

Official Mississippi County permit resources

• Mississippi County E911 / Office of Emergency Management (addresses, floodplain)
• Mississippi County department contacts
• Mississippi County Health Department
• Mississippi County Road Department
• Mississippi County quorum court archive
• City of Osceola Code Enforcement / Building Inspector
• City of Osceola residential building permit form
• City of Keiser Ordinance 2017-2, building permit fees
• City of Gosnell Code Enforcement
• Town of Dell zoning code (Ordinance 2013-01)
• Arkansas Department of Health: Onsite Wastewater
• FEMA Community Status Book: Arkansas

Simplify Mississippi 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 Mississippi County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.