Arapahoe County: septic rules when you sell
Transfer of Title / Use Permit (OWTS)
When you sell an Arapahoe County home on a septic system, a NAWT-certified inspector must inspect it and you submit a Transfer of Title/Use Permit application to Arapahoe County Public Health, which takes about 2 business days to process. The application fee is $85. The permit is good for 1 year from issue; if the home hasn't sold by then, the process repeats.
County fee $85 per permit (On-Site Wastewater — Use Permit Application Fee).
Inspector requirement Use permit inspections must be conducted by a Certified NAWT inspector; find one via NAWT.org.
When to apply After the inspection, submit the application (with inspection form, pump receipt, and record drawing); the county processes complete, paid applications in approximately 2 business days. Provide the issued permit at closing.
| Inspection at sale | A septic inspection and use permit are required at the time of sale to confirm the system is working properly; use permits are also triggered by adding bedrooms, changing residential-to-commercial use, or adding a modular/mobile home. source ↗ |
|---|---|
| County fee | $85 per permit (On-Site Wastewater — Use Permit Application Fee). source ↗ |
| Inspector requirement | Use permit inspections must be conducted by a Certified NAWT inspector; find one via NAWT.org. |
| When to apply | After the inspection, submit the application (with inspection form, pump receipt, and record drawing); the county processes complete, paid applications in approximately 2 business days. Provide the issued permit at closing. |
| Validity | The permit is good for 1 year from the issue date (regulation: valid until closing or a maximum of 12 months, whichever comes first). If the home hasn't sold by then, the process must be repeated. |
| Winter rule | No spring-inspection agreement; snow cover is contemplated — if snow cover or other circumstances prevent the inspector from confirming water-supply setbacks, that must be stated in the inspection report. |
| If the system fails | Malfunctioning systems must be repaired. If the system doesn't meet requirements, a conditional Use Permit may be issued when the buyer agrees to obtain a permit and complete repairs (or connect to a sanitation district) within 30 days of occupancy; sellers may also use an Agreement to Repair form. |
| Exemptions | The following transfers are excluded: adding/excluding a spouse or child; life estate; foreclosure/forfeiture (later resale requires it); redemption from a tax sale (later resale requires it); creating/ending joint ownership with an original owner or spouse/children; demolished/uninhabitable premises; public right-of-way; transfer to a trust; and new homes that have not yet been occupied. |
Details to confirm with the county
We couldn't confirm the following from Arapahoe County's official pages. Check these with the county before you rely on them:
- Failed-system and exemption details are drawn from the county's 2025.12 OWTS regulation, which is labeled DRAFT_FINAL; the operative sale requirement, fee, NAWT requirement, ~2-day turnaround, and 1-year validity are also confirmed on the live county website and the county's 2025 Transfer of Title flyer.
Verified July 2026 · Source: Arapahoe County Public Health — Septic Systems (Transfer of Title/Use Permit)