Clear Creek County: septic rules when you sell
Use Permit (Transfer of Title Inspection)
Clear Creek County requires a Use Permit before closing on the sale of a property served by a septic system. You schedule a Transfer of Title inspection with a NAWT/NSF-certified inspector, submit the inspection form with a pumping receipt and MLS listing, and pay a $100 fee. The permit is valid 12 months or until closing.
County fee $100 Use Permit fee.
Inspector requirement Inspection must be completed by a licensed inspector who is NAWT- or NSF-certified; reports from unlicensed/uncertified inspectors are not accepted. Clear Creek publishes a Transfer of Title Inspector list.
When to apply Must be obtained before closing; the county recommends starting when the home is first listed. Allow 5 to 10 business days to process; the county does not rush permits.
| Inspection at sale | A Use Permit is required before the close of a covered transaction if any system component has been used for more than 5 years, or the property is a limited-occupancy or limited-bedroom-use dwelling. Submit the Use Permit Application, a Transfer of Title Inspection Form, a pumping receipt, and the MLS listing/sale publication. |
|---|---|
| County fee | $100 Use Permit fee. source ↗ |
| Inspector requirement | Inspection must be completed by a licensed inspector who is NAWT- or NSF-certified; reports from unlicensed/uncertified inspectors are not accepted. Clear Creek publishes a Transfer of Title Inspector list. source ↗ |
| When to apply | Must be obtained before closing; the county recommends starting when the home is first listed. Allow 5 to 10 business days to process; the county does not rush permits. |
| Validity | Use Permits are valid for 12 months or until the date of real estate closing. Not renewable — if the sale does not occur within 12 months a new permit is needed. |
| If the system fails | A permit is denied for a failed Transfer of Title inspection (also for exceeding approved bedrooms, conflicting records, or an expired pumping receipt). The owner must address the deficiencies and provide proof of compliance; repair permits may need to be pulled before the Use Permit can be issued. If title transfers without a Use Permit, the new owner must obtain one within 30 days of closing or face a Notice of Violation. |
Details to confirm with the county
We couldn't confirm the following from Clear Creek County's official pages. Check these with the county before you rely on them:
- Formal snow-cover / spring-inspection-agreement rule — the Transfer of Title Inspection Form has a checkbox for 'Is there snow cover over the absorption area?', but no written spring-inspection agreement or escrow mechanism was found in the official Use Permit page, application, or inspection form. (Clear Creek is a mountain county; a snow policy may exist in the full OWTS Regulations, which were not fully reviewed this pass.)
- New-system age exemption — Clear Creek's trigger is component-use-based ('any component used more than 5 years'); no explicit exemption for brand-new systems was stated on the reviewed materials.
Verified July 2026 · Source: Clear Creek County Environmental Health — OWTS Use Permit (Transfer of Title)