For land outside the cities and towns of Alcorn County, the county itself is the permitting body. The contact for the county permit, its fee and any code requirements is the Board of Supervisors’ office in Corinth (662-286-7707). Inside Corinth, the City’s Community Development and Planning department issues permits under the 2018 International codes.
Who issues building permits in Alcorn County?
The Board of Supervisors governs unincorporated Alcorn County; state law (Miss. Code §19-5-9(11)) requires a county permit for construction there. The Secretary of State’s county directory lists these county offices, all at P.O. Box 69, Corinth, MS 38835:
| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Board of Supervisors | 662-286-7707 |
| County Administrator | 662-286-7702 |
| Chancery Clerk (land records, Board minutes) | 662-286-7700 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The Board’s office can tell you which county permit a project needs, the fee and whether the county inspects the work. The county has not published a building code order or permit fee schedule.
Cities and towns in Alcorn County
| Place | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Corinth (city, 14,345) | City of Corinth Department of Community Development and Planning, 662-287-2401: building, electrical, plumbing and floodplain permits under the 2018 International codes and the 2011 National Electrical Code, with City contractor licensing |
| Farmington (town, 2,039) | The published sources do not say; ask Farmington’s town hall |
| Rienzi (town, 278) | The Town’s website does not cover building permits; ask Town Hall, 84 South Front Street (662-462-5315, weekdays 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.) |
| Glen (town, 373) and Kossuth (village, 162) | The published sources do not say; ask the town or village clerk |
Corinth’s Land Development Code and building codes apply only inside its corporate limits, so a lot just outside the city line is a county matter.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →How to start a project in Alcorn County: 5 steps
Check whether the parcel is inside Corinth, Farmington, Glen, Kossuth or Rienzi; each incorporated place handles its own limits.
Download the City’s residential or commercial building application and file it with Community Development and Planning.
Call the Board of Supervisors’ office (662-286-7707) for the county permit and fee before work begins.
Without public sewer, apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health for the onsite wastewater system.
Have your contractor’s State Board of Contractors licence number ready for the application.
Other approvals around Alcorn County
Septic systems: individual onsite wastewater systems are permitted by the Mississippi State Department of Health, which takes applications online and through its On-Site Wastewater Call Center (855-220-0192).
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Corinth’s flood rule: inside Corinth, new and substantially improved buildings in a flood hazard area must have the lowest floor at least 18 inches above the base flood elevation, and the City’s floodplain administrator is its Director of Community Development and Planning.
Mississippi building code
Some work is exempt statewide: farm structures once the owner files an affidavit (Mississippi Code §17-2-7), and manufactured housing built to federal standards, certain industrial and utility facilities, buildings on non-public fairgrounds and hunting or fishing camps with an owner’s affidavit (§17-2-9). None of these exemptions reaches floodplain rules. The state minimum codes are the Mississippi Building Code and Mississippi Residential Code, the residential code drawn from the 2021 International Residential Code. How building codes apply in Mississippi
Rather not deal with the Alcorn County building department?
Get a free quote →Official Alcorn County resources
- Mississippi Secretary of State county directory (Alcorn County offices)
- House Bill 1163 (2022): county and city permit requirement
- Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater
- City of Corinth Compliance page (Building Official and inspections)
- City of Corinth permit applications
- Corinth City Code Chapter 7, Buildings
- Town of Rienzi contact page
- Mississippi State Fire Marshal: Fire Code Enforcement
- Mississippi Insurance Department: Mississippi Uniform Building Codes
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Alcorn County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Alcorn County?
Inside Corinth, the City’s Department of Community Development and Planning (662-287-2401). For unincorporated land, contact the Board of Supervisors’ office at 662-286-7707.
Which building code applies in Corinth?
The 2018 International codes and the 2011 National Electrical Code, adopted by the City on October 19, 2021.
Who approves a septic system?
The Mississippi State Department of Health, through its On-Site Wastewater program (855-220-0192).
I am building in Farmington, Glen, Kossuth or Rienzi. Who do I ask?
Rienzi’s Town Hall is at 84 South Front Street (662-462-5315); for Farmington, Glen and Kossuth ask the town or village hall, as the published sources do not say whether they issue their own permits.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Alcorn County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.