Smith County, Mississippi Building Permit Guide

Construction outside the towns in Smith County needs a county permit. Ask the County Administrator, who serves the Board of Supervisors (601-782-4000; P.O. Box 160, Raleigh). The county courthouse is at 201 Courthouse Square in Raleigh.

Who issues building permits in Smith County?

The Board of Supervisors governs the unincorporated county, and its County Administrator shares the board’s mailing address and phone line. Under House Bill 1163, passed in 2022, counties must issue permits for construction in unincorporated areas and towns for construction inside their limits, and Smith County’s 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.

Who permits each town in Smith County?

Building in Raleigh, Taylorsville, Mize, Polkville or Sylvarena is permitted by that town, not the county. The published sources do not name a permit office in any of the five, so ask the town clerk.

Septic systems and contractors

Onsite wastewater systems for lots without sewer are permitted by the Mississippi State Department of Health. Have your contractor’s state licence or certificate of responsibility number and material purchase certificate or taxpayer ID ready, because the county permit must carry them.

How to get a permit in Smith County

Flood maps in Smith County

FEMA lists Smith County, Mize, Raleigh and Taylorsville in the National Flood Insurance Program. The county’s current flood map is dated July 20, 2021 and the maps for Mize and Taylorsville August 16, 2011; Raleigh is listed with no special flood hazard area mapped. Polkville and Sylvarena are on FEMA’s list of communities that do not take part in the program, although both have flood maps (Polkville’s dated July 20, 2021, Sylvarena’s August 16, 2011).

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 Smith County resources

• Mississippi Secretary of State: county officials directory (2025)
• House Bill 1163 (2022): county and city construction permits
• FEMA Community Status Book: Mississippi
• Mississippi State Department of Health: onsite wastewater

Smith County permit FAQs

Do I need a permit to build in unincorporated Smith County?

Yes. Construction outside the five towns needs a county permit.

Whom do I contact for a Smith County permit?

The County Administrator, P.O. Box 160, Raleigh, MS 39153 (601-782-4000).

Does the county permit cover Raleigh or Taylorsville?

No. Each town must require its own permits for construction inside its limits.

Is Raleigh in a flood zone?

FEMA lists Raleigh in the flood insurance program with no special flood hazard area mapped.

Who issues septic permits in Smith County?

The Mississippi State Department of Health handles individual onsite wastewater permits for the whole county.

Simplify Smith 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 Smith County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.