In unincorporated Pontotoc County, state law requires the Board of Supervisors to require a permit for construction; the Board and the Chancery Clerk share the mailing address PO Box 209, Pontotoc, MS 38863, and the phone 662-489-3900. Call before you build; inside a town, ask that town’s City Hall.
Who issues permits in Pontotoc County?
The Census Bureau lists six incorporated places in Pontotoc County; the rest of the county is unincorporated. The county contact below is from the Secretary of State’s 2025 directory of county officials.
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Get a free quote →| Area | Who to ask about permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated Pontotoc County | Board of Supervisors, PO Box 209, Pontotoc, MS 38863; 662-489-3900 (the Chancery Clerk’s number) |
| City of Pontotoc (6,156 residents, 2025) | The published sources do not say which office issues permits; ask City Hall |
| Ecru (1,113), Algoma (723), Thaxton (692) and Toccopola (289) | The published sources do not say who permits in these towns; ask each town clerk |
| Sherman (521 residents in Pontotoc County; the town also reaches into Union and Lee counties) | The published sources do not say who permits there; ask the town hall |
| Septic systems where there is no sewer | Mississippi State Department of Health; wastewater call center 1-855-220-0192 |
Since 2022, Miss. Code §19-5-9(11) has required every county to require a permit for construction in its unincorporated area. Each county permit must show the contractor’s material purchase certificate number or federal taxpayer number and the contractor’s licence or certificate of responsibility number, and the prime contractor supplies a copy of the certificate or a W-9 with the application.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Steps for a project in Pontotoc County
Find out whether the land is inside Pontotoc, Ecru, Algoma, Thaxton, Sherman or Toccopola, or in the unincorporated county.
For county land, call the Board of Supervisors at 662-489-3900; inside a town, call its City Hall or town clerk.
The county and four of the towns take part in the National Flood Insurance Program, so ask whether the site is in a mapped flood zone and what approval is needed.
Without public sewer, apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health for the onsite wastewater system before building.
Have the contractor’s material purchase certificate or W-9 and licence number ready for the county permit.
Flood maps and septic systems
Flood insurance program: FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Pontotoc County, the City of Pontotoc, Ecru, Thaxton and Sherman as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with maps dated August 19, 2010. The county’s map is listed as an original flood map issued by letter, showing only zones A, C and X. Algoma and Toccopola are on FEMA’s list of communities that are not in the program.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Septic systems: the Mississippi State Department of Health issues onsite wastewater permits. File the application online or send it by fax, by mail or by e-mail to wastewater@msdh.ms.gov; the Department e-mails a payment link once the application is complete.
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 Pontotoc County building department?
Get a free quote →Official Pontotoc County permit resources
- Mississippi Secretary of State: county offices and officials directory (2025)
- House Bill 1163 (2022): county permit requirement
- FEMA Community Status Book: Mississippi NFIP communities
- Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater
- Mississippi State Fire Marshal: fire code enforcement
- Mississippi Insurance Department: Senate Bill 2378 code opt-out
Pontotoc County permit FAQs
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Get a free quote →Who do I call about a building permit in unincorporated Pontotoc County?
The Board of Supervisors, which shares PO Box 209 and the phone number 662-489-3900 with the Chancery Clerk in Pontotoc.
Does Pontotoc County have to require building permits?
Yes. Since 2022, state law requires every Mississippi county to require a permit for construction in its unincorporated area.
Which Pontotoc County towns are in the flood insurance program?
The City of Pontotoc, Ecru, Thaxton and Sherman, along with the county. Algoma and Toccopola are not in the program.
Who approves septic systems in Pontotoc County?
The Mississippi State Department of Health through its On-Site Wastewater program.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Pontotoc County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.