Construction in unincorporated Neshoba County needs a county permit. Ask the County Administrator in the Board of Supervisors’ office, Suite 201 of the Neshoba County Courthouse, 401 E. Beacon Street, Philadelphia (601-656-6281). Inside Philadelphia and Union the city or town issues the permit, and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians applies its own building code on its trust land.
Who issues building permits in Neshoba County?
The Board of Supervisors is the county’s governing body, and its County Administrator works from the same courthouse suite. House Bill 1163 of 2022 makes every county require a permit for construction outside its towns and every town inside its limits, and the county permit must show, in plain print, the contractor’s material purchase certificate number or taxpayer identification number and the contractor’s licence or certificate of responsibility number. Bring those numbers when you apply.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Board of Supervisors and County Administrator | Suite 201; 601-656-6281 |
| Chancery Clerk | Suite 107; 601-656-3581 |
| Tax Assessor | Suite 105; 601-656-4541 |
Who permits each town and tribal area?
- Philadelphia: work inside the city is permitted by the City of Philadelphia, not the county.
- Union: the town lies partly in Neshoba County and partly in Newton County, and the town, not either county, handles permits inside its limits.
- Choctaw trust land: on Mississippi Choctaw Reservation trust land, the tribe’s Choctaw Building Code (Title XVII, chapter 4 of the Choctaw Tribal Code) governs building work. It adopts the 2012 International Building and Residential Codes with tribal amendments, its building official is appointed by the Tribal Chief, and work valued over $50,000 must be done by a contractor licensed by the Mississippi State Board of Contractors. The tribe’s own website places its Pearl River, Bogue Chitto and Tucker communities in Neshoba County.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Septic systems and trade work
Individual onsite wastewater systems, such as septic tanks on lots without sewer, are permitted by the Mississippi State Department of Health. Because the county permit has to carry the contractor’s licence or certificate of responsibility number, have your general contractor’s state licence details ready before you go to the courthouse.
How to get a permit in Neshoba County
Check whether the land is inside Philadelphia or Union, or is Choctaw trust land.
You need the material purchase certificate or taxpayer ID and the licence or certificate of responsibility number.
Go to the Board of Supervisors’ office, Suite 201, and ask for the county construction permit.
Neshoba County takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, so ask the county about its floodplain rules if the site is in a mapped flood zone.
Apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health if the lot has no sewer.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Flood zones and other local details
FEMA lists Neshoba County, the City of Philadelphia and the Town of Union as taking part in the National Flood Insurance Program. The county and Philadelphia use flood maps dated May 20, 2010, and Union’s map is dated December 17, 2010.
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 Neshoba County building department?
Get a free quote →Official Neshoba County resources
- Mississippi Secretary of State: county officials directory (2025)
- House Bill 1163 (2022): county and city construction permits
- Choctaw Tribal Code
- Choctaw Tribal Code Title XVII: Choctaw Building Code
- FEMA Community Status Book: Mississippi
- Mississippi State Department of Health: onsite wastewater
Neshoba County permit FAQs
Do I need a permit to build in unincorporated Neshoba County?
Yes. Construction outside Philadelphia and Union needs a county permit.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Where do I apply for a Neshoba County permit?
At the Board of Supervisors’ office, Suite 201 of the courthouse at 401 E. Beacon Street, Philadelphia (601-656-6281).
What contractor information goes on the permit?
The contractor’s material purchase certificate number or taxpayer identification number, and the contractor’s licence or certificate of responsibility number.
Does the county permit cover land in Philadelphia?
No. Building in Philadelphia, or in Union, is permitted by that city or town.
Which rules apply on Choctaw reservation land?
The tribe’s Choctaw Building Code, based on the 2012 International Building and Residential Codes, applies to work on Mississippi Choctaw Reservation trust land.
Who permits septic systems?
The Mississippi State Department of Health.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Neshoba County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.