Tallahatchie County, Mississippi Building Permit Guide

For building in unincorporated Tallahatchie County, ask the County Administrator, whose office is in Charleston (PO Box 350, 662-647-5551), which county permit applies. Charleston, Sumner, Tutwiler, Webb and Glendora govern building inside their own limits.

Tallahatchie County building department: who handles permitting

The Board of Supervisors governs the unincorporated county. The County Administrator is also the Chancery Clerk, with Chancery Clerk offices in both county seats. Since 2022, a state law (House Bill 1163) has obliged every Mississippi county to require a permit for construction outside its towns, so ask the Administrator’s office for the county application and any fee.

Who permits each town in Tallahatchie County?

• Charleston: ask City Hall, 135 Court Square, Charleston (662-647-5841), about building permits inside the city.
• Sumner, Tutwiler, Webb and Glendora: ask each town or village clerk which office issues building permits there.

Septic systems and trade work

A lot without sewer service in Tallahatchie County needs an onsite wastewater (septic) permit from the Mississippi State Department of Health. For electrical, plumbing or mechanical work outside the towns, ask the County Administrator’s office whether a separate permit applies.

Starting a project in unincorporated Tallahatchie County

Tallahatchie County details worth knowing

Two judicial districts: the Chancery Clerk and Circuit Clerk each keep an office in Charleston for the First Judicial District and in Sumner for the Second.

Flood insurance program: FEMA lists Tallahatchie County and all five of its towns as taking part in the National Flood Insurance Program.

Building code in Tallahatchie County

Ask the County Administrator’s office whether the Board of Supervisors applies a code edition to county permits; each town answers for its own 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

Tallahatchie County permit search and official resources

• Mississippi Secretary of State county government directory, 2024–2028 (Tallahatchie County officials)
• City of Charleston
• Mississippi State Department of Health: on-site wastewater

Tallahatchie County permit FAQs

Which office handles county permits in Tallahatchie County?

The County Administrator in Charleston (662-647-5551).

Why does the county have two county seats?

Tallahatchie County is split into two judicial districts, with offices in Charleston and Sumner.

Who handles building permits in Charleston?

The City of Charleston; contact City Hall at 135 Court Square (662-647-5841).

Who handles septic permits?

Onsite wastewater systems in Tallahatchie County are permitted by the Mississippi State Department of Health.

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