Compare Regulations
Compare state-level permit requirements side-by-side (up to 4 states)
NC(3 more)
Rows with an amber indicator differ across selected states.
| Field | NC North Carolina |
|---|---|
| NPDES Program | State-Delegated |
| Permitting Agency | North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) |
| Permit Name | NPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction Activities (Permit No. NCG010000) |
| Construction Threshold | ≥ 1 acre of land disturbance, or < 1 acre if part of a larger common plan of development or sale that will disturb ≥ 1 acre. NC also regulates land-disturbing activity ≥ 500 sq ft under the NC Sedimentation Pollution Control Act (SPCA) of 1973, which is a parallel but distinct state requirement. |
| NOI Lead Time | An Erosion and Sediment Control (E&SC) Plan must be approved by NCDEQ's Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources (DEMLR) — or a delegated local program — before any land disturbance begins. The plan review typically takes 30–60 days. The NPDES NCG010000 general permit requires that a Notice of Intent (NOI) be submitted and that E&SC plan approval be in hand before construction commences. There is no separate fixed NOI lead time; the E&SC approval process drives the timeline. |
| Application Method | Online via NCDEQ's eDEQ portal (edocs.deq.nc.gov) or paper submission to the appropriate NCDEQ DEMLR regional office. NC has a unique dual-track system: the SPCA E&SC plan is submitted to DEMLR or a delegated local program (many counties and municipalities), and the NPDES NOI is filed with NCDEQ. Both must be approved before construction begins. |
| Permit Fee | E&SC Plan review fee: $50 per acre, minimum $100, maximum $5,000 for state-reviewed projects. Locally-reviewed projects may have different fee schedules set by the local program. NPDES NCG010000 general permit annual fee: approximately $100–$500 depending on disturbance acreage (per NCDEQ fee schedule under 15A NCAC 02H .0105). |
| SWPPP Required | Yes |
| PE Certification Required | No |
| SWPPP Template Available | Yes |
| Inspection Frequency | At least every 7 calendar days and within 24 hours of a storm event producing ≥ 0.5 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period. After final stabilization of an area, inspection frequency may be reduced. Inspections must be documented using NCDEQ-approved forms and records retained for at least 3 years. |
| Inspector Qualification | North Carolina requires that E&SC inspections be conducted by a person holding a valid NC Erosion and Sediment Control (E&SC) Program Level I, Level II, or Level III certificate, or by a licensed Professional Engineer or Registered Landscape Architect. The E&SC certification program is administered by NCDEQ DEMLR. Level II certification is required for projects ≥ 1 acre in most cases. This is a state-specific mandatory certification that distinguishes NC from many other states. |
| Post-Construction Required | Yes |
| Turbidity Standard | 50 NTU above background for freshwater streams; specific numeric limits apply to discharges into waters classified as Trout (Tr) or High Quality Waters (HQW). |