On unincorporated land in Lawrence County, the Board of Supervisors office (601-587-3003) handles county business, from new home addresses to road questions. The 2024 regional hazard mitigation plan reports that the county has not adopted a building code; its Lawrence County table marks Monticello with a building code and a fire code, though the plan’s summary list of towns with codes leaves Monticello out; ask Monticello Town Hall which code it enforces, and ask New Hebron or Silver Creek about their own rules.
Who handles construction permits in Lawrence County?
State law has required a county permit for construction in unincorporated areas since 2022, with or without a building code, and the permit must 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)). The Board office is the place to ask how Lawrence County issues it and what it costs.
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Get a free quote →| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Board of Supervisors office (county business, roads, load permits) | 601-587-3003; the Board meets the first and third Monday at 9:00 a.m. in the County Court Building board room |
| E911 Coordinator (new home addresses) | 601-587-0752 |
| Chancery Clerk (land records, plats) | P.O. Box 821, Monticello, MS 39654; 601-587-7162 |
| Tax Assessor / Tax Collector | 601-587-4543 / 601-587-2211 |
| Courthouse | 517 Broad Street, Monticello |
To bring a matter before the Board, notify the Supervisors’ office by noon on the Wednesday before the Monday meeting and deliver any exhibits by the same deadline.
Towns in Lawrence County
| Town | Who to ask about building permits |
|---|---|
| Monticello (1,378 residents; county seat) | Town Hall, 202 Jefferson Street, 601-587-0045, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the town board meets the first and third Monday. The regional plan names Monticello as the only Lawrence County jurisdiction with a zoning ordinance, and its county table marks the town alone with a subdivision ordinance, a building code and a fire code. |
| New Hebron (371) | Town of New Hebron, P.O. Box 173, 601-694-2115 |
| Silver Creek (174) | Town of Silver Creek, P.O. Box 129, 601-866-7866 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Steps for a project in Lawrence County
Inside Monticello, New Hebron or Silver Creek, start with that town; elsewhere, the county.
A new home in the county gets its address through the E911 Coordinator in the Board office (601-587-0752).
Call the Board office (601-587-3003) with the contractor’s material purchase certificate or taxpayer ID number and licence or certificate of responsibility number that state law puts on the permit.
The Board office has a staff member for county road load permits; call before hauling heavy equipment or materials on county roads.
Without sewer service, apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health for the onsite wastewater system.
Flood rules, septic and roads
Flood zones: Lawrence County, Monticello, New Hebron and Silver Creek all take part in the National Flood Insurance Program, on FEMA maps effective June 2, 2011. The regional plan reports that each has adopted flood damage prevention regulations; before building in a mapped flood zone, ask the county or the town what its regulations require.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Septic systems: individual onsite wastewater systems are permitted by the Mississippi State Department of Health, which takes applications online or by fax, mail or e-mail (wastewater@msdh.ms.gov) and bills the fee through an e-mailed payment link; county health offices accept 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 Lawrence County building department?
Get a free quote →Official Lawrence County resources
- Mississippi State Fire Marshal: Fire Code Enforcement
- Lawrence County Board of Supervisors
- Lawrence County government offices
- Secretary of State: county offices directory 2025
- Mississippi Blue Book 2024-2028: municipal offices
- MEMA District 7 Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan (2024, PDF)
- House Bill 1163 (2022): county permit requirement
- FEMA Community Status Book: Mississippi
- Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater
- Town of Monticello contact
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Lawrence County permit FAQs
Who do I call about building in Lawrence County?
For land outside the towns, the Board of Supervisors office at 601-587-3003. Inside a town: Monticello (601-587-0045), New Hebron (601-694-2115) or Silver Creek (601-866-7866).
Does Lawrence County have a building code?
The 2024 MEMA District 7 hazard mitigation plan reports that the county has not adopted one. The plan’s Lawrence County table marks Monticello with a building code and a fire code, while its summary list of towns with codes omits Monticello; New Hebron and Silver Creek show no code in either place.
How do I get an address for a new house?
Through the county E911 Coordinator in the Board office (601-587-0752).
Who approves septic systems in Lawrence County?
The Mississippi State Department of Health, through its onsite wastewater program.
Is Lawrence County in the flood insurance program?
Yes. The county and all three towns participate, with FEMA maps effective June 2, 2011.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Lawrence County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.