Septic continuing education requirements by state
Compare continuing education hours, renewal cycles, approval rules, and official requirements for septic installers, pumpers, inspectors, operators, and soil professionals in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.
Choose your state
Select a state to jump directly to its continuing education hours, renewal cycle, deadlines, regulators, and official sources.
Approval and eligible credit can vary by course and credential. Review the registration listing for the specific state, audience, and approved credit before enrolling.
Do septic professionals need continuing education?
In most states covered by this guide, yes. Continuing education is attached to a specific license or certification—not simply the job title “septic professional.” Your issuing board, renewal deadline, and approved course type matter as much as the number of hours.
Is continuing education required?
Most credentials reviewed in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama require CE or CPE. No formal CE requirement was identified for the listed Tennessee permits.
How often is septic CE due?
Requirements are generally annual in North Carolina and Alabama and use two-year cycles in South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia. The exact deadline depends on the credential.
Will any septic course count?
No. Course approval varies by state, license, and offering. Confirm the eligible credential, approved credit, and course or approval number before registering.
North Carolina
- Grade II installer3 hr / yr
- Grade IV installer6 hr / yr
- Point-of-sale inspector6 hr / yr
- AOWE or private compliance inspector12 hr / yr
- Subsurface operator6 hr / yr
South Carolina
- Tier 1 installer8 hr / 2 yr
- Tier 2 installer12 hr / 2 yr
- Tier 3 installer18 hr / 2 yr
- Pumper / haulerNo CE listed
Virginia
- Soil evaluators, installers and operators4–14 CPE
- Renewal cycle2 years
- Exact requirementVaries by class
Tennessee
- Installer permitsNo formal CE identified
- Pumper permitsNo formal CE identified
- Soil consultantsNo formal CE identified
- PermittingAnnual
Georgia
- Installer8 hr / 2 yr
- Pumper6 hr / 2 yr
- Installer + pumper8 hr / 2 yr
- Portable sanitation6 hr / 2 yr
- Soil classifier30 hr / 2 yr
Alabama
- Basic installer, pumper or manufacturer6 hr / yr
- Advanced Level I8 hr / yr
- Advanced Level II10 hr / yr
- Portable restroom only4 hr / yr
How this guide is researched and maintained
OWP compiles this reference from state statutes, administrative rules, licensing-board materials, and current agency renewal pages. Each detailed requirement links to an official source so readers can verify the rule directly.
State law, administrative code, licensing boards, and agency renewal instructions are prioritized over third-party summaries.
Hours, cycles, deadlines, regulators, and license categories are listed separately rather than reduced to a single statewide number.
When official materials differ, controlling statutes and administrative rules are prioritized over FAQs or guidance. The discrepancy is noted rather than silently averaged.
Professionals and agencies can report changes to info@owpnc.com for review and correction.
Latest source-review updates
Material changes are recorded here so readers, search engines, and AI systems can distinguish a current source review from a cosmetic page update.
- Full six-state source review. Official-source links, direct-answer summaries, structured data, semantic headings, and credential-level descriptions were refreshed.
- Alabama. Updated the portable-restroom-only requirement to 4 hours annually under the current 2026 administrative code and removed an obsolete Manufacturer Level II entry.
- Tennessee and Virginia. Clarified Tennessee language where no formal CE requirement was identified in the current materials reviewed, and replaced the Virginia PE entry with current statutory and administrative-code references.
North Carolina — Five regulatory bodies
Onsite licensure in NC is fragmented across multiple agencies. Installers, inspectors, and evaluators are regulated by NCOWCICB; subsurface operators by NC DEQ; soil scientists by NC BLSS; engineers by NCBELS; pumpers by NC DEQ Septage program.
NCOWCICB — Installers · Inspectors · Evaluators (calendar year)
Grade Level II InstallerConventional gravity systems, multiple tanks, single pump, fill, sand-lined trench, up to 1,499 gpd
21 NCAC 39
Grade Level IV InstallerAll approved subsurface system types — comprehensive contractor
21 NCAC 39
Point-of-Sale InspectorInspections for real estate transactions on existing systems
21 NCAC 39
Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluator (AOWE)Site/soil evaluation and system design under 15A NCAC 18E
21 NCAC 39
Private Compliance InspectorNew in 2025 — compliance inspections on newly-installed systems; 36-hr class + 5 yrs experience required
SB166 / 21 NCAC 39
NC DEQ — Subsurface Wastewater System Operator
Subsurface System OperatorRequired for LPP, drip, pressure-dosed sand filter, peat biofilter, and large existing subsurface systems.
15A NCAC 8G / NCGS 90A Art. 3
Adjacent licenses commonly held by onsite professionals
Licensed Soil Scientist (LSS)PDH framework; max 15 PDH may carry forward into next cycle
21 NCAC 69 / NCGS 89F
Professional Engineer (PE)≥1 hr must be Ethics/Rules of Professional Conduct (effective 2024)
21 NCAC 56.1703
Licensed Geologist (LG)Up to 12 additional PDH may be carried forward
21 NCAC 21
Septage Management Firm Operator (Pumper)Annual training required. NCDEQ offers free online training every 2 months.
NCGS 130A-291.3(a) · 15A NCAC 13B
Septage Land Application Site OperatorSeparate annual training for operators of permitted septage land application sites (SLAS).
NCGS 130A-291.3(b) · 15A NCAC 13B
South Carolina — Two regulatory bodies for onsite
SCDES (formerly DHEC) handles installer and pumper licensure under Regulation 61-56. Soil classifiers are regulated separately by the SC State Board for Registration of Soil Classifiers.
SCDES — Onsite Installers (R.61-56 §701)
Tier 1 InstallerAll gravity-fed and fill-cap residential systems. No repairs on existing systems.
R.61-56 §701
Tier 2 InstallerAll Tier 1 plus pumps, grease traps, curtain drains, elevated/mounded systems, all commercial systems. Authorized to repair existing systems.
R.61-56 §701
Tier 3 Installer (formerly Master)All Tier 1/2 plus Standard 610 specialized systems. Must be bonded & insured. 3 yrs SC experience.
R.61-56 §701 / Act 37 of 2015
Pumper / HaulerPumps onsite wastewater systems and self-contained toilets; transports sewage to disposal sites.
R.61-56
Soil Classifier & Engineer (adjacent)
Licensed Soil ClassifierRequired for Tier 3 / Standard 610 work. Self-directed study capped at 10 hr.
Chapter 108
Virginia — DPOR-licensed; biennial cycle
Virginia has the most structured onsite framework: master/journeyman tiers across alternative and conventional categories for installers, operators, and onsite soil evaluators. All under one DPOR board. HB2671 (2025) made operator/installer/OSE licensure mandatory for real estate transactions.
DPOR — Onsite Soil Evaluators (18VAC160-40-330)
Master Alternative OSE (AOSE)Site/soil evaluation and design for conventional + alternative systems
18VAC160-40
Master Conventional OSEConventional systems only
18VAC160-40
Journeyman Alternative OSEWorks under direct supervision of master
18VAC160-40
Journeyman Conventional OSE
18VAC160-40
DPOR — Onsite Sewage System Installers
Master Alternative Installer
18VAC160-40
Master Conventional Installer
18VAC160-40
Journeyman Alternative Installer
18VAC160-40
Journeyman Conventional Installer
18VAC160-40
DPOR — Onsite Sewage System Operators
Master Alternative Operator
18VAC160-40
Master Conventional Operator
18VAC160-40
Journeyman Alternative Operator
18VAC160-40
Journeyman Conventional Operator
18VAC160-40
Adjacent licenses
Licensed Professional Soil Scientist (LPSS)Replaces former CPSS certification (transitioned 2013)
18VAC145-20-145 / §54.1-2205
Professional Engineer (PE)Complete 16 continuing-education hours during each two-year license period before expiration.
18VAC10-20-683 · Va. Code §54.1-404.2
Tennessee — No formal CE requirement identified
The current TDEC permit and renewal materials reviewed do not identify a formal continuing education requirement for the listed onsite installers, pumpers, or approved soil consultants. Annual permitting, examination, and performance requirements may still apply, and professionals should verify current instructions before renewal.
TDEC — Subsurface Sewage Disposal System Permits
Conventional SSDS Installer PermitConventional gravity-fed systems
Rule 0400-48-01-.19
Alternative SSDS Installer PermitLPP, mound, lagoon, aerobic, drip
Rule 0400-48-01-.19
Septic Tank Pumping ContractorPumps septic, holding tanks, portable toilets
Rule 0400-48-01-.20
Domestic Septage Disposal (Land Application)Requires high-intensity soil map and approved disposal site
Rule 0400-48-01
TDEC-Approved Soil ConsultantSubmits soil maps for SSDS permits. Requires BS in soils/agronomy + 15 sem. hrs soil science + 2 yrs experience + TDEC exam.
Rule 0400-48-01-.03 / .18
Third-Party Water Resources EngineerRegistered TN PE who prepares permit packages or conducts final inspections in lieu of TDEC or contract county
T.C.A. §68-221-403(m)(2)
Georgia — DPH-administered; biennial cycle
Georgia DPH oversees the Onsite Sewage Program statewide under Chapter 511-3-1, with the 18 county health districts handling local permitting. CE is tracked at the individual contractor level on a biennial cycle ending Feb 28 of even-numbered years.
GA DPH — Installers · Pumpers · Soil Classifiers
Certified InstallerResidential exam covers Sections A, D, E, F of the DPH Manual
Ch. 511-3-1
Certified Septic Tank Pumper
Ch. 511-3-1
Installer + Pumper (combined)Single 8-hr requirement covers both certifications
Ch. 511-3-1
Portable Sanitation OnlyNo septic tank pumping; one designee per company gets CE
Rule 511-3-6
Certified Soil Classifier (Level III soil reports)Required for complex sites. Passed Fundamentals of Soil Science exam, $1M E&O insurance, signed code of ethics.
Ch. 511-3-1
Alabama — AOWB · calendar year cycle
Alabama's Onsite Wastewater Board (AOWB) uses annual calendar-year continuing education. Basic installer, pumper, and manufacturer licenses generally require 6 hours; Advanced Level I requires 8; Advanced Level II requires 10; and a portable-restroom-only license requires 4 hours.
AOWB — Installers · Pumpers · Manufacturers (Title 628)
Basic InstallerConventional onsite systems. 12 months work experience required prior to testing.
628-X-3 / 628-X-2
Advanced Level I InstallerSmall-flow systems, mound systems, simplex pumps with time dosing. Requires 24 mo. at Basic Level + 5 installs.
628-X-3
Advanced Level II InstallerAll systems including large-flow (≥1,800 gpd). 24 mo. at Advanced Level I required.
628-X-3
PumperSeptic tank, sewage tank, grease trap, and portable toilet pumping; replacing lids, risers, tees, filters
628-X-3
Manufacturer LicenseFor tank manufacturers
628-X-3
Portable Restroom LicensePumping, transport, servicing of portable toilets
628-X-3
Septic continuing education questions
Direct answers to the questions professionals most often ask when planning renewal.
What states are included in this septic CE guide?
The guide covers North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. It also includes several adjacent licenses commonly held by onsite wastewater professionals.
How many continuing education hours do North Carolina septic professionals need?
North Carolina Grade II installers need 3 hours each year. Grade IV installers and point-of-sale inspectors need 6. Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluators and Private Compliance Inspectors need 12. Subsurface wastewater operators need 6.
When is North Carolina septic continuing education due?
NCOWCICB certifications expire December 31, but renewal materials and proof of continuing education are due by November 15. NC DEQ operator certifications use a December 31 annual cycle.
How many CE hours do South Carolina septic installers need?
South Carolina Tier 1 installers need 8 hours every two years, Tier 2 installers need 12, and Tier 3 installers need 18. The requirement took effect July 1, 2025, and only courses taken on or after January 1, 2025 count.
How many CPE hours are required in Virginia?
Virginia onsite sewage system professionals need 4 to 14 CPE contact hours during each two-year renewal cycle. The exact number depends on whether the license is journeyman or master and conventional or alternative.
Does Tennessee require continuing education for septic installers?
No formal CE requirement was identified in the current Tennessee materials reviewed for the listed installer, pumper, and approved soil consultant permits. Annual permits, examinations, and performance requirements may still apply.
How many continuing education hours are required in Georgia?
Georgia requires 8 hours every two years for installers, 6 for pumpers, 8 for professionals who both install and pump, 6 for portable sanitation, and 30 for certified soil classifiers.
How many continuing education hours are required in Alabama?
Alabama requires 6 hours annually for a basic installer, pumper, or manufacturer license; 8 hours for Advanced Level I; 10 hours for Advanced Level II; and 4 hours for a portable-restroom-only license. Combined license hours generally do not stack.
Will an OWP class count toward my license renewal?
Course approval varies by state, credential, and individual offering. Review the registration listing for the audience and approved credit, and confirm the course number or approval with the issuing board before attending when required.
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