Pottawatomie County does not issue building permits; the state’s Uniform Building Code Commission lists it as a county that issues none. The county’s permit is for development in the floodplain, handled by Emergency Management at 13503 Acme Road, Shawnee (405-878-2332, ext. 707). Shawnee, Tecumseh and McLoud issue building permits inside their city limits.
What needs a permit outside the cities?
Pottawatomie County
- Development in a mapped flood hazard area of the unincorporated county: floodplain development permit under the county floodplain ordinance
State of Oklahoma
- Where no local authority requires a building permit, the State Fire Marshal requires its own permit for all use and occupancy classifications in the International Building Code (OAC 265:25-1-4(a))
- New or modified septic systems: Department of Environmental Quality
Who issues permits in Pottawatomie County?
County Emergency Management runs the floodplain management program and posts the floodplain ordinance, permit application, permit review checklist, elevation certificate and engineering no-rise certificate on its Floodplain Management page.
| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Emergency Management (floodplain) | 13503 Acme Road, Shawnee, OK 74804; 405-878-2332, ext. 707 for floodplain |
| County government | 309 N. Broadway Avenue, Shawnee, OK 74801; Administration Building 405-273-4305 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Sixteen incorporated places lie at least partly in the county. The table uses the Uniform Building Code Commission’s jurisdiction list and the State Fire Marshal’s July 14, 2026 list of places that do their own plan review, permits and inspections.
| Town | Who permits construction | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Shawnee | The city’s Building Inspections Division (on both state lists) | 405-878-1666 |
| Tecumseh | The city: on the Fire Marshal list since January 2026 | 405-598-3911 |
| McLoud | The city: its fee schedule (Resolution 2282) covers building permits and inspections, and it has been on the Fire Marshal list since September 2024 | 405-788-4751 |
| Tribbey | The state lists disagree: the code commission marks Tribbey as not issuing permits, but it has been on the Fire Marshal list since June 2022; ask the town | 405-899-6110 |
| Pink | The town: a Building Permit/Acreage Verification ($20, approved by the Board of Trustees at its monthly meeting) is required before building or moving a home onto a lot; it checks the one-home-per-2.5-acres rule of Ordinance No. 8, and the town makes no building inspections. The code commission list marks Pink as not issuing permits | 405-287-4891 |
| Bethel Acres | The town answers building permit questions at Town Hall; the code commission list does not mark it as non-issuing | 405-275-4128 |
| Asher | The published sources do not say; ask the town (the code commission list does not mark it as non-issuing) | 405-784-2242 |
| Prague, Oklahoma City (small parts of each) | Each city issues its own permits (both are on the Fire Marshal list) | Prague 405-567-2270 |
| Maud | Sources disagree: the code commission marks Maud as not issuing permits, but the city code (Sec. 5-106) requires a building permit from the city building official for building, enlarging, altering or moving a structure or placing a mobile home, with the fee set by the city council | 405-374-2717 |
| Brooksville, Earlsboro, Johnson, Macomb, St. Louis, Wanette | No town building permits, according to the code commission list | – |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Trade work and septic systems
The county issues no electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits. Cities that permit construction issue the trade permits too, and the contractors are licensed by the Construction Industries Board.
Septic systems are permitted by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, and a new or modified system must be inspected and approved by DEQ, or installed, self-inspected and approved by a certified installer, before it is used. Inside Shawnee, the City also requires its own on-site sewage permit, filed with a copy of the DEQ permit.
Permit fees in Pottawatomie County
There is no county building permit fee. Floodplain permits are priced under the county floodplain ordinance; Emergency Management quotes the fee on 405-878-2332, ext. 707. Where the State Fire Marshal issues the building permit because no local permit is required, its fee is $0.20 per square foot with a $100 minimum, under OAC 265:60-1-2.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →What a floodplain application needs
Emergency Management’s floodplain page posts the forms a floodplain application draws on:
- The county floodplain development permit application.
- An elevation certificate form.
- An engineering no-rise certificate form.
- The permit review checklist used for each application.
- The county floodplain ordinance itself.
How to get a permit in Pottawatomie County
Inside Shawnee, Tecumseh or McLoud, apply to the city; in Maud, Pink, Bethel Acres, Asher or Tribbey, call the town first.
Call Emergency Management (ext. 707) to find out whether the land is in a flood hazard area.
Use the county application and the certificate forms Emergency Management posts with it.
DEQ for a septic system; the State Fire Marshal where no local authority requires a building permit.
Residents in county jurisdiction can register a shelter location with Emergency Management.
Inspections
The county does not inspect buildings for code compliance. Floodplain applications are reviewed by Emergency Management against the county’s permit review checklist. Building inspections happen only where a city or town issues the permit, or the State Fire Marshal where it is the permitting authority.
Local details in Pottawatomie County
Flood insurance: the county takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, and Shawnee, Tecumseh, McLoud, Bethel Acres and Maud are separate participating communities with their own floodplain administrators.
Rather not deal with the Pottawatomie County building department?
Get a free quote →Storm shelters: the county’s shelter registration form is for residents of county jurisdiction, where the Sheriff’s Office responds; city residents register with their city.
Tribal trust property: the State Fire Marshal has no jurisdiction on tribal trust property; the tribal government is the authority there.
Oklahoma building code
Oklahoma sets statewide minimum codes (the 2024 editions since September 14, 2026) that cities enforce and may strengthen; most counties issue no building permits for unincorporated land, though a few do. Oklahoma rules
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Official Pottawatomie County and Oklahoma permit resources
- Pottawatomie County Emergency Management
- Pottawatomie County floodplain management documents
- Pottawatomie County Emergency Management staff directory
- City of Shawnee applications, permits and inspections
- City of McLoud codes and permits
- City of Maud ordinances, building permits (Sec. 5-106)
- Town of Pink Building Permit/Acreage Verification procedure and application
- Town of Bethel Acres Town Hall contact
- Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission: jurisdictions
- State Fire Marshal local permitting list (July 14, 2026)
- State Fire Marshal: permit questions and fees
- OWRB: find a floodplain administrator
- Oklahoma DEQ on-site sewage systems
- Oklahoma Construction Industries Board
Pottawatomie County permit FAQs
Does Pottawatomie County issue building permits?
No. The Uniform Building Code Commission lists it as issuing no permits; the county handles floodplain permits through Emergency Management.
Who do I call about building in a flood zone?
Pottawatomie County Emergency Management, 405-878-2332, extension 707.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Which cities in the county issue building permits?
Shawnee, Tecumseh and McLoud issue their own, and Prague and Oklahoma City permit the small parts of their cities that lie in the county. Maud’s city code also requires a building permit, Pink requires its $20 Building Permit/Acreage Verification before a home is built or moved in, and Tribbey is on the State Fire Marshal’s list, although the code commission marks all three as not issuing permits.
Who permits a septic system on rural land?
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
Does the State Fire Marshal ever issue the building permit?
Yes. Where no local authority requires a building permit, the Fire Marshal requires one for all International Building Code use and occupancy classifications, at $0.20 per square foot with a $100 minimum.
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More Oklahoma permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Pottawatomie County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.