A water well drilling license is only one of three approvals that come up around a new well, and they are easy to confuse: the contractor's license, the permit or notice for your particular well, and the rules on how much water you can use. They are usually issued by different offices. This page explains each one so you know which questions to ask where you live. It is general information, not legal advice.
Why do well drilling rules vary by state?
There is no single national permit for a private well. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that most states have zero or limited regulations for private drinking water wells. EPA: Private Drinking Water Well Programs in Your State Pennsylvania, for example, has no statewide construction or siting standards for private water wells, though some municipalities have their own. Pennsylvania DCNR: Licensed Water Well Drillers Other states have detailed construction codes. [EPA-STATES source note] [PA-DCNR-DRILLERS source note]
1. Does a well driller need a license?
This belongs to the contractor, not to you. The National Ground Water Association says most states require licensing of water well contractors and suggests contacting the state (often the department of natural resources or health) to check. NGWA (Wellowner.org): Licensing Examples of how states handle it: [NGWA-LICENSING source note]
- Texas issues Well Driller, Pump Installer and combination licenses through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, with endorsements for different kinds of work. TDLR: Water Well Driller and/or Pump Installer License
- New York requires water well drilling businesses to register annually with the Department of Environmental Conservation, with work supervised on site by someone who has passed the required exams. NYSDEC: Water Well Contractor Program
- Ohio requires private water systems contractors to register with the Ohio Department of Health each year. Ohio Department of Health: Information for Private Water Systems Contractors
Pump installation is sometimes licensed separately from drilling, as in Texas. Check both if different companies will do the work. The driller vetting questions cover how to verify a license with the issuing agency rather than relying on a contractor's word or an association listing.
2. Do you need a permit to drill a well?
This concerns your specific well: where it goes and how it is built. Examples:
| State | What is required | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | Well Construction Notification Number before construction | Wisconsin DNR |
| Washington | Notice of intent 72 hours before drilling starts | Washington Ecology |
| Ohio | Permit to construct, alter or seal a private water system | Local health district |
| Michigan | Well construction applications, permits and inspections | Local health department |
| California | Permit before work on a new or existing well | Local authority, typically county environmental health |
Sources: Wisconsin DNR: Well and heat exchange notification, Washington Ecology: Well construction notice of intent, Ohio Department of Health: Information for Private Water Systems Contractors, Michigan EGLE: FAQ for Private Well Owners and California State Water Board: A Guide for Private Domestic Well Owners (2025). [WI-DNR-NOTIFY source note] [WA-ECY-NOI source note] [OH-ODH-PWSC source note] [MI-EGLE-FAQ source note] [CA-SWRCB-GUIDE source note]
Often the driller files it, but ask who is responsible and get it in the contract. NGWA's contract guidelines include a statement that all work will comply with applicable regulations and codes. NGWA: Guidelines for Written Contracts [NGWA-CONTRACT source note]
3. Do water rights apply to a household well?
Separate from construction, some places regulate how much groundwater can be pumped, through water rights, permits for larger withdrawals, or local groundwater districts. In Texas, groundwater conservation districts are locally governed districts that manage groundwater supplies, and their rules vary. TCEQ: Groundwater Conservation Districts Household wells are often treated differently from irrigation or commercial wells, but confirm that with your state or district. [TCEQ-GCD source note]
4. After drilling: the well report
In many states the contractor files a record of the finished well with the state. New York requires a completion report filed with DEC and a copy to the owner, and Wisconsin requires a well construction report within 30 days. Keep your copy; it's the basis for future service and resale. See how to find water well logs.
How to check a well driller license
- Find the issuing agency for your state; water well permits by state lists the ones we have checked.
- Use the agency's own lookup. Pennsylvania offers a searchable licensed driller database, New York a registered contractor search, and Texas publishes license files. Pennsylvania DCNR: Licensed Water Well Drillers
- Match the name. In some states the license belongs to an individual, not the company; ask which person at the company holds it and will supervise your job.
- Check the scope. Texas, for example, uses endorsements for water wells, monitoring wells, pumps and other work. Make sure the license covers what you're hiring for.
- Check the date. Licenses expire; confirm it is current.
A license shows the state's minimum requirement was met. It is not a guarantee of workmanship, so still use the driller vetting questions.
Where to start
- Ask your county health department whether a permit or notice is needed for a private well.
- Find your state's well program; water well permits by state lists official starting points.
- Confirm the contractor's license with the issuing agency.
- Check setbacks before choosing the spot; see where to drill a well.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to drill a well on my own property?
In many places, yes, or at least a notice or notification before drilling. The requirement and the office vary: in Ohio and Michigan it is the local health department or district, in Wisconsin a state notification number, in Washington a notice of intent to the state. Check with your county health department and state well program.
How do I check a well driller's license?
Use the licensing agency's own lookup in your state. Some states offer searchable databases, such as Pennsylvania's licensed driller database or New York's registered contractor search. Industry association membership is not the same as a state license.
Can a homeowner drill their own well?
Some states allow it in limited cases. Wisconsin, for example, exempts an owner drilling or driving a well on their own property from its licensed-driller requirement, but the notification and reporting rules still apply. Many other places require a licensed contractor.
Is a well permit the same as a water right?
No. A well permit or notice concerns how and where the well is built. Water rights or groundwater district rules concern how much water can be withdrawn. Household wells are often exempt from some water-right requirements, but that varies by state and district.
Sources & claim context
Citations mark where guidance is grounded. They are general resources dated on retrieval, not guarantees for any property, project, price, licensure, permit or yield. No expert, attorney or reviewer signoff is claimed by this site.
EPA: Private Wells · EPA · accessed 2026-10-10
https://www.epa.gov/privatewells
Does not specify local testing/permit rules or guarantee safety
EPA: Private Drinking Water Well Programs in Your State · EPA · accessed 2026-10-10
https://www.epa.gov/privatewells/private-drinking-water-well-programs-your-state
Links point to non-federal sites; confirm current program details with each state
NGWA (Wellowner.org): Guidelines for Written Contracts · NGWA · accessed 2026-10-10
https://wellowner.org/basics/planning-for-a-water-well/guidelines-for-written-contracts/
Does not prescribe who pays for a dry hole
NGWA (Wellowner.org): Licensing · NGWA · accessed 2026-10-10
https://wellowner.org/resources/working-with-contractors/licensing/
No state-by-state list on the page
TCEQ: Groundwater Conservation Districts · Texas Commission on Environmental Quality · accessed 2026-10-10
https://www.tceq.texas.gov/groundwater/groundwater-planning-assessment/districts.html/
District rules (permits, registration, spacing) vary; check the district
TDLR: Water Well Driller and/or Pump Installer License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · accessed 2026-10-10
https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/wwd/apply-driller-installer.htm
Licensing details only; not a license lookup
California State Water Board: A Guide for Private Domestic Well Owners (2025) · California State Water Resources Control Board · accessed 2026-10-10
https://waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/gama/docs/wellowner_guide.pdf
California-specific
NYSDEC: Water Well Contractor Program · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation · accessed 2026-10-10
https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/water/water-quantity/water-well-contractor-program
Program details only; check local health department requirements too
Wisconsin DNR: Well and heat exchange notification · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources · accessed 2026-10-10
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Wells/constructionNotification.html
Fee as listed on access date
Washington Ecology: Well construction notice of intent · Washington State Department of Ecology · accessed 2026-10-10
https://ecology.wa.gov/regulations-permits/reporting-requirements/well-construction-notice-of-intent
Fee amounts not listed on the page
Michigan EGLE: FAQ for Private Well Owners · Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy · accessed 2026-10-10
https://www.michigan.gov/egle/faqs/drinking-water/private-well-owners
FAQ summary
Ohio Department of Health: Information for Private Water Systems Contractors · Ohio Department of Health · accessed 2026-10-10
Lists are PDFs updated as contractors are added
Pennsylvania DCNR: Licensed Water Well Drillers · Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources · accessed 2026-10-10
Database is a lookup, not an endorsement
Claims are grounded in the dated source notes above; project-specific price, yield, licensure and permit answers require site-specific and local verification.