Wake County Permitting May 2026

Wake County, home to Raleigh, Cary, and surrounding towns, has specific permitting requirements for unincorporated areas of the county and for specific county-jurisdiction projects (such as septic tanks, environmental health, and some residential projects outside city limits).

If you live inside the city limits of Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Wake Forest, Knightdale, Wendell, Zebulon, Rolesville, or Fuquay-Varina, you must contact that city’s planning department—not the county. What Permits Does Wake County Issue? Wake County’s Permitting & Environmental Health divisions handle the following: wake county permitting