The permit that allows pumping
Rhode Island requires a DEM septage transporter permit to transport septage on the state's roads. DEM lists those companies as Septic Tank Sewage Pumping Service Companies. If the company that arrives is not on that list, that is a reason to stop the job.
The published list is from July 16, 2025
DEM publishes the register as a PDF. The copy linked from the official page is dated July 16, 2025. Businesses close, change hands and let permits lapse in that time, so a name on these pages is a starting point, not proof the permit is still current. Ask for the number and check DEM's current file.
Verification steps
- Ask for the business name and its DEM septage transporter permit number.
- Open the DEM OWTS professional licensing page and download the current Permitted Septage Transporters PDF.
- Confirm the company is still on the list.
- Confirm the business pumps household tanks at your address, then get a written quote.
Reading the county
DEM publishes a base city, not a county. The county on a card is where that city (or named village) sits. It is not a service area — a DEM permit is a Rhode Island permit, so a business in the next county may well cover your address.
28 businesses hold a Rhode Island septage transporter permit from a city in another state and are counted here rather than placed on a Rhode Island county page.
What we publish
34 businesses across all 5 Rhode Island counties, drawn from the 62 rows on the July 16, 2025 PDF. Nothing is filtered out by name: this permit is Rhode Island's septage pumping credential. Because portable-toilet, plumbing and construction firms hold it too, the 19 businesses whose name does not say septic or cesspool carry a note asking you to confirm household work first.
Start with the Rhode Island county directory, then confirm the permit on DEM's own list.