Permits & data index
Well permits by state
Every state regulates well construction differently — some approve permits online in days, some delegate to county health departments, seventeen skip the pre-drill permit entirely. Pick your state for the authority, the fee, the filing channel and the real depth numbers.
| State | Permit model | Online filing | Wells indexed | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | State permit · paper/PDF | paper / county | 38,408 | 135 ft |
| Alaska | No pre-drill permit (report only) · 1 county playbooks | post-drill only | 40,585 | 102 ft |
| Arizona | State permit · online portal | online | 240,019 | 260 ft |
| Arkansas | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 94,578 | 135 ft |
| California | County / local health dept | paper / county | 1,051,507 | 165 ft |
| Colorado | State permit · paper/PDF | paper / county | 639,897 | 160 ft |
| Connecticut | County / local health dept | paper / county | 7,990 | 20 ft |
| Delaware | State permit · online portal | online | 173,502 | 60 ft |
| Florida | District-issued · 4 county playbooks | online | 1,498,636 | 80 ft |
| Georgia | No pre-drill permit (report only) | paper / county | 16,102 | 251 ft |
| Hawaii | State permit · paper/PDF | paper / county | 886 | — |
| Idaho | State permit · online portal | online | 207,600 | 160 ft |
| Illinois | County / local health dept | paper / county | 654,227 | — |
| Indiana | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 414,953 | 90 ft |
| Iowa | County / local health dept | paper / county | 100,140 | 175 ft |
| Kansas | No pre-drill permit (report only) · 5 county playbooks | post-drill only | 313,870 | 60 ft |
| Kentucky | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 105,714 | 46 ft |
| Louisiana | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 229,184 | 130 ft |
| Maine | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 94,928 | 240 ft |
| Maryland | County / local health dept | paper / county | 28,776 | 138 ft |
| Massachusetts | County / local health dept | paper / county | 141,768 | 220 ft |
| Michigan | County / local health dept | paper / county | 1,169,758 | 95 ft |
| Minnesota | State permit · online portal | online | 403,867 | 114 ft |
| Mississippi | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 180,935 | 160 ft |
| Missouri | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 194,836 | 170 ft |
| Montana | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 295,878 | 95 ft |
| Nebraska | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 266,815 | 120 ft |
| Nevada | State permit · paper/PDF | paper / county | 145,261 | 140 ft |
| New Hampshire | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 110,891 | — |
| New Jersey | State permit · online portal | online | — | — |
| New Mexico | State permit · paper/PDF | paper / county | 279,024 | 177 ft |
| New York | No pre-drill permit (report only) · 5 county playbooks | post-drill only | 120,203 | 191 ft |
| North Carolina | County / local health dept · 38 county playbooks | paper / county | 24,587 | 180 ft |
| North Dakota | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | — | — |
| Ohio | County / local health dept | paper / county | 549,390 | 90 ft |
| Oklahoma | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 238,466 | — |
| Oregon | State permit · online portal | online | 591,905 | 84 ft |
| Pennsylvania | No pre-drill permit (report only) · 3 county playbooks | post-drill only | 421,376 | 150 ft |
| Rhode Island | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 3,680 | 45 ft |
| South Carolina | State permit · online portal | online | 14,146 | 265 ft |
| South Dakota | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 78,375 | 122 ft |
| Tennessee | State permit · paper/PDF | paper / county | 174,895 | 175 ft |
| Texas | District-issued | post-drill only | 705,401 | 170 ft |
| Utah | State permit · online portal | online | 94,434 | — |
| Vermont | No pre-drill permit (report only) | post-drill only | 119,993 | 270 ft |
| Virginia | County / local health dept | paper / county | 19,002 | 167 ft |
| Washington | State permit · online portal · 1 county playbooks | online | 1,186,165 | 25 ft |
| West Virginia | County / local health dept | paper / county | 13,737 | 86 ft |
| Wisconsin | State permit · online portal | online | 871,268 | 120 ft |
| Wyoming | State permit · online portal | online | 211,842 | 360 ft |
Playbooks verified against statutes and agency portals, July 2026. Fees and rules change — every row carries its verification date, and WellsMap never issues permits: only the responsible government authority does.