Greene County, Mississippi Building Permit Guide

For construction in unincorporated Greene County, start with the Board of Supervisors’ administrative offices at 413 Greene Avenue, Leakesville (601-394-5922). A new home needs a 911 address from Emergency Management, which asks for a deed and an existing driveway first. The county has posted a 2026 mobile home park ordinance whose adoption the posted copy does not show. Inside Leakesville, McLain and State Line, start with the town clerk.

Who handles permits in Greene County?

The Census Bureau counts three incorporated places in Greene County: Leakesville (3,732 residents in 2025), McLain (315) and the Greene County part of State Line (249). The rest of the county is unincorporated and governed by five district supervisors.

House Bill 1163 of 2022 (Miss. Code §19-5-9(11)) requires every county to require a permit for construction in its unincorporated area. The county’s forms page lists no building permit application, fee or code adoption, and the Board’s minutes are kept by the Chancery Clerk, so ask the administrative offices what applies to your project.

Leakesville, McLain and State Line

Leakesville is the county seat. City Hall is at 301A Lafayette Avenue (601-394-2383, leakesvillems@gmail.com), and the Mayor and Board of Aldermen meet on the first Tuesday of each month at 4:00 p.m. at Town Hall. The City has moved its business privilege licences to the Cloudpermit online portal. Leakesville has had a zoning ordinance since February 1988, and its Press Releases page posts a new zoning map and a draft update dated March 21, 2023. Under the draft, a building permit from the City’s Building Inspector is needed to erect, move or structurally alter a building, or for structural alterations over $500, and a new or altered building may not be used until the Building Inspector issues a certificate of occupancy, for which no fee is charged. The draft’s adoption date is left blank, and the website lists no permit form or fee, so call City Hall before building in town.

McLain has a town clerk at Town Hall, 106 Church Avenue S (601-753-2205). Its website covers the board, staff and police department but lists no permit form.

State Line straddles the Greene–Wayne county line. For permits there, contact the town clerk.

Addresses, mobile home parks and flood maps

911 address for a new home: Emergency Management will set up a new address only after you provide a copy of the land deed or purchase agreement, and a signed letter from the owner if the land belongs to someone else. The driveway must already be in place, and you should describe the building you plan to put there. The number must be shown in large bold lettering on both sides of the address sign at the start of the driveway.

As posted, the ordinance treats three or more rented manufactured or mobile homes on land under common ownership as a park and sets these standards:

• a park of at least 2 acres, with 3 to 30 lots and no more than six homes per acre;
• lots of at least 5,000 square feet and 50 feet wide, with homes at least 10 feet from the lot boundary;
• a street plan approved by the County Engineer before construction, and a preliminary subdivision plat reviewed by the County Engineer, approved by the Board and recorded with the Chancery Clerk;
• no homes built before June 14, 1976;
• no new park in areas the FEMA flood maps show as subject to regular flooding, and none within 3 miles of an existing park;
• an annual inspection by the Emergency Management Office, with a fine of up to $100, up to 30 days in the county jail, or both, each day of a violation counting as a separate offense.

Flood maps: FEMA lists Greene County in the National Flood Insurance Program with flood maps effective November 19, 2021, and also lists Leakesville, McLain and State Line as participating.

Septic systems: the Mississippi State Department of Health permits individual onsite wastewater systems. Apply online, by fax, by mail or by e-mail to wastewater@msdh.ms.gov; its wastewater call center is 1-855-220-0192.

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

Official Greene County permit resources

• Greene County Board of Supervisors
• Greene County 911 Addressing
• Greene County Emergency Management
• Greene County Chancery Clerk
• Greene County Manufactured/Mobile Home Park Ordinance (2026, as posted)
• FEMA Community Status Book: Mississippi NFIP communities
• House Bill 1163 (2022): county permit requirement
• City of Leakesville
• Leakesville press releases: new zoning map and draft zoning ordinance update
• Town of McLain: aldermen and staff
• Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater

Greene County permit FAQs

Where is the Greene County Board of Supervisors office?

413 Greene Avenue, Leakesville, MS 39451 (601-394-5922). The Board meets at 9:00 a.m. on the first and third Mondays.

What do I need for a 911 address in Greene County?

A copy of the deed or purchase agreement, the owner’s permission letter if the land is not yours, and a driveway already in place. Call 601-394-5627.

Can I open a mobile home park in Greene County?

The county has posted a 2026 park ordinance requiring at least 2 acres, 3 to 30 lots and a Board-approved plat, but the posted copy is unsigned; ask the Chancery Clerk which version of the county’s park ordinance is in force.

Is Greene County in the flood insurance program?

Yes. FEMA lists the county, Leakesville, McLain and State Line, with county maps effective November 19, 2021.

Who do I call about building in Leakesville?

Leakesville City Hall, 301A Lafayette Avenue (601-394-2383).

Who permits septic systems?

The Mississippi State Department of Health (wastewater call center 1-855-220-0192).

Simplify Greene County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Mississippi. 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 Greene County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.