On unincorporated land in Copiah County, call the County Administrator (P.O. Box 551, Hazlehurst; 601-894-1858) about the county construction permit. Inside a city, town or village, permits come from that municipality: Hazlehurst and Crystal Springs City Halls, Wesson Town Hall, or the Georgetown and Beauregard town offices.
Who handles permits in Copiah County?
Mississippi has required each county since 2022 to make construction in its unincorporated area subject to a permit, with or without a building code, and to have the permit show the contractor’s material purchase certificate number or taxpayer ID number (with a copy of the certificate or a W-9) and licence or certificate of responsibility number (Miss. Code §19-5-9(11)). Cities, towns and villages must likewise require a permit inside their own limits (§21-19-25(6)). The County Administrator’s office can tell you how Copiah County applies that rule, what the permit costs and where to file.
| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Board of Supervisors and County Administrator | P.O. Box 551, Hazlehurst, MS 39083; 601-894-1858 |
| Chancery Clerk (Board minutes, land records) | P.O. Box 507, Hazlehurst; 601-894-4101 |
| Tax Assessor | P.O. Box 730, Hazlehurst; 601-894-2721 |
| Tax Collector | P.O. Box 705, Hazlehurst; 601-894-2731 |
| Courthouse | 100 Caldwell Drive, Hazlehurst |
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Get a free quote →Cities, towns and the village
| Place | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Hazlehurst (city, 3,435 residents; county seat) | Ask City Hall, 209 South Extension Street, 601-894-3131 (Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). The Mayor and Board of Aldermen meet the first Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. |
| Crystal Springs (city, 4,629) | The City: its zoning ordinance (No. 324, as amended by Ordinance No. 382 of December 3, 2013) has the Zoning Administrator approve front-yard fence materials in residential districts, and any exterior renovation in the downtown historic district, before a permit is issued; City Hall, P.O. Box 473, 601-892-1212 |
| Wesson (town; 1,747 of its residents live in Copiah County, the rest in Lincoln County) | The Town: its zoning ordinance has building permits issued by the official the Mayor and Board of Aldermen designate, with the Zoning Administrator reviewing each application and plot diagram; Town Hall, 1011 Spring Street, 601-643-5221 |
| Georgetown (town, 245) | Ask the town office, P.O. Box 138, 601-858-2463 |
| Beauregard (village, 280) | Ask the village office, P.O. Box 427, 601-643-1255 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Steps for a project in Copiah County
Inside Hazlehurst, Crystal Springs, Wesson, Georgetown or Beauregard, ask that city, town or village; land outside them is the county’s.
For unincorporated land, ask the County Administrator (601-894-1858) which permit applies and what to bring.
Keep at hand the numbers state law requires on a county permit: material purchase certificate or taxpayer ID (with the certificate copy or a W-9), and licence or certificate of responsibility.
If there is no public sewer, apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health for an onsite wastewater permit.
Flood maps and septic systems in Copiah County
Flood insurance program: Copiah County, Crystal Springs, Georgetown and Hazlehurst take part in the National Flood Insurance Program on FEMA maps effective December 16, 2008. Wesson participates but has no mapped special flood hazard area. Beauregard does not appear in FEMA’s list of Mississippi communities.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Crystal Springs zoning rules: under Ordinance No. 382, front-yard fences in residential districts may be no taller than 4 feet (6 feet on the side street of a corner lot), and chain link is not allowed in a front yard or the side yard of a corner lot. In the C-1 to C-4 commercial districts, a metal building or one with metal siding may not be visible from the street it fronts unless the Mayor and Board of Aldermen approve it. Sign designs in the downtown historic district also need Zoning Administrator approval before a sign permit. The city’s own pages give City Hall’s street address both as 210 West Railroad Avenue and as 210 East Railroad Avenue, so call 601-892-1212 for directions.
Septic systems: the Mississippi State Department of Health permits individual onsite wastewater systems. Apply online, or send the paper form by fax, mail or e-mail to wastewater@msdh.ms.gov; the fee is paid through an e-mailed link, since county health offices take no cash or checks for it. Call center: 855-220-0192.
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 Copiah County building department?
Get a free quote →Official Copiah County resources
- Mississippi State Fire Marshal: Fire Code Enforcement
- Secretary of State: county offices directory 2025
- Secretary of State: county courthouse addresses 2026
- Mississippi Blue Book 2024-2028: municipal offices
- House Bill 1163 (2022): county permit requirement
- FEMA Community Status Book: Mississippi
- Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater
- City of Hazlehurst city government
- City of Crystal Springs city profile and ordinances
- City of Crystal Springs Ordinance No. 382 (zoning amendments, 2013)
- Town of Wesson contact page
- Town of Wesson Zoning Ordinance
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Copiah County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Copiah County?
Inside a municipality, ask its own office: Hazlehurst City Hall (601-894-3131), Crystal Springs City Hall (601-892-1212), Wesson Town Hall (601-643-5221), Georgetown (601-858-2463) and Beauregard (601-643-1255). For land outside them, call the County Administrator at 601-894-1858.
Do I need a permit to build in the county outside the towns?
Yes. Ask the County Administrator what the county requires before work starts.
Who issues permits in Wesson?
The Town of Wesson, through the official its Mayor and Board of Aldermen designate; the Zoning Administrator reviews applications.
Who approves septic systems in Copiah County?
The Mississippi State Department of Health, through its onsite wastewater program.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Is Copiah County in the flood insurance program?
Yes, with FEMA maps effective December 16, 2008, as are Crystal Springs, Georgetown and Hazlehurst. Wesson participates with no mapped special flood hazard area, and Beauregard is not on FEMA’s list.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Copiah County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.