NCDEQ launches online construction stormwater permit application

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) announced on May 12, 2025, that it has launched a new online construction stormwater (NCG01/NCG25) permit application for the Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources (DEMLR).

It is the second DEMLR permit application now available online through the AccessDEQ digital hub. The first online application was for erosion and sediment control. Between them, DEMLR now has the capability to process more than 15,000 digital permit applications per year.

“The new online construction stormwater permit will create streamlined application submittal and permit review and issuance processes, making it easier for people to apply and track their permit,” said DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson in a press release. “Now 42% of our department’s permit applications are online, and we’re working hard to get to 100%.”

Using a combination of community partnerships, innovation and oversight, the stormwater permitting program develops, plans and implements statewide stormwater control policies and practices that protect North Carolina's surface water from water quality impacts due to stormwater runoff.

The permit ensures that applicants are in compliance with the North Carolina’s Sedimentation Pollution Control Act (NCG01) and when applicable, with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program (NCG25) for projects disturbing more than one acre of land.

DEMLR oversees thousands of projects statewide, and AccessDEQ provides a digital platform for accessing records, data, maps and permit applications. The online NCG01/NCG25 application will expedite the process for companies to complete and submit their permit applications and accelerate construction projects across the state.

“The new NCG01/NCG25 stormwater application will allow DEMLR staff to better review and process the thousands of stormwater applications we receive each year,” said DEMLR Director Toby Vinson in a press release. “In addition, applicants can track the application, review, and approval processes online, just as they already can with erosion and sediment control permits, often for the same construction sites.”