# Do You Need a Permit to Drill a Water Well in Parker County?

> How to get a Parker County water well permit: Upper Trinity district registration before drilling, fees, spacing, the 2027 rule changes and who files. Call us.

URL: https://waterwelldrillingweatherford.com/learn/parker-county-water-well-permit/

Permit & Code

What the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District requires before a new household well is drilled, and what changes on January 1, 2027.

Yes. Every new well in Parker County must be **registered with the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District before drilling**. The fee is **$600** plus a **$100 refundable deposit**, and the driller usually files it. The tract must be at least 2 acres, and the well must meet the district's spacing and state setbacks. Stricter spacing takes effect January 1, 2027.

[Water Well Drilling Weatherford](https://waterwelldrillingweatherford.com/) files district paperwork for new wells across Parker County, and the Parker County water well permit is really a *registration* with the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. The district covers Parker, Hood, Wise and Montague counties, and its office is on West Highway 199 in Springtown (817-523-5200).

## What’s required today

For a new household well, the district currently requires:

1. **Registration before drilling.** The landowner is responsible, but the driller usually files it.
2. **Fees:** $600 non-refundable registration, plus a $100 deposit refunded when the completion report is filed.
3. **Tract size of at least 2 acres.**
4. **Spacing:** at least 50 ft from the nearest property line and 150 ft from any other registered well.

State rules add setbacks on top: 50 ft from a septic tank, 100 ft from a septic absorption field or spray area, and 150 ft from livestock pens, feedlots and similar sources. See [water well setback requirements in Texas](https://waterwelldrillingweatherford.com/learn/water-well-setback-requirements-texas/).

## What changes on January 1, 2027

On August 27, 2026, the district adopted new rules, effective January 1, 2027:

- **5-acre minimum** for property subdivided after December 31, 2026, in areas where the Trinity aquifer is 60 ft thick or less. That’s mainly the western parts of the district’s counties. Plats already in process are grandfathered.
- **Wider spacing** for wells producing 8–17.36 gallons per minute, a class that covers many household wells: **100 ft from property lines** (up from 50) and **300 ft from other wells**.
- A **new class for wells over 150 gpm**: 4,000 ft from other wells and 1,250 ft from property lines.
- A cap of 250,000 gallons per acre per year on commercial groundwater permits.

The district has an interactive tract-size map showing where the 5-acre rule applies. See [minimum acreage for a water well](https://waterwelldrillingweatherford.com/learn/minimum-acreage-water-well-parker-county/).

## After the well is drilled

The driller files a State Well Report with the state, and sends copies to the district and to you, within 60 days. That’s also what releases the $100 deposit. Keep your copy with the property records. Buyers, lenders and future service techs will ask for it.

## Selling water or larger uses

Household and livestock wells are the common case. A well used to sell water is non-exempt. It must register as such, be metered, and pay a production fee on the water used (currently $0.24 per 1,000 gallons, per the district’s fee schedule). Operating permits for larger uses carry their own application fees.

## Other county permits

A new home on acreage also needs a septic (on-site sewage facility) permit, and the septic layout drives where the well can go. Plan the well and septic sites together. Moving a drain field on paper costs nothing; moving a well after it’s drilled costs a new well.

## Bottom line

Register before you drill, not after. Budget $600 plus a $100 refundable deposit, check that your tract and well site meet the spacing rules (which tighten on January 1, 2027), and let a licensed driller file the paperwork.

Questions about your own well? Call [(817) 382-3840](tel:+18173823840). A person answers 24/7.

Sources

1. [Upper Trinity GCD, FAQs](https://uppertrinitygcd.com/faqs/)
2. [Upper Trinity GCD, forms and fees](https://uppertrinitygcd.com/forms-documents/)
3. [Wise County Messenger, district rules effective January 1, 2027](https://www.wcmessenger.com/articles/5-acre-minimum-lots-required-for-new-wells-in-west-wise-starting-in-2027/)
4. [16 Texas Administrative Code §76.100, well location standards](https://law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/16-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-76-100)

## Quick answers

**Who files the well registration?**

The landowner is responsible, but in practice the drilling company usually registers the well on your behalf and passes the fee through.

**Do I have to register an existing well?**

The district encourages it, and registering a well drilled before 2009 is free. A registered well gets spacing protection when neighbors drill. If you buy property with a registered well, file the district's transfer of ownership form.

**What if my lot can't meet the spacing rules?**

The district accepts applications for an exception. The filing fee is $50, or $750 if it goes to notice and hearing. Approval isn't automatic, so check before you buy a lot that depends on one.

## More residential well drilling guides

- Learn **[How Deep Are Water Wells in Parker County?](https://waterwelldrillingweatherford.com/learn/how-deep-are-water-wells-parker-county/).** Median depths and water levels for new household wells in every town we serve, from Texas Water Development Board driller reports.
- Permit & Code **[How Many Acres Do You Need for a Water Well in Parker County?](https://waterwelldrillingweatherford.com/learn/minimum-acreage-water-well-parker-county/).** The tract size and spacing rules that decide whether a lot can have its own well, before and after January 1, 2027.
- Cost Guide **[How Much Does Water Well Drilling Cost in Weatherford, TX?](https://waterwelldrillingweatherford.com/learn/water-well-drilling-cost-weatherford/).** 2026 prices for a new household well around Weatherford, line by line, using state driller reports for real local depths.
- Permit & Code **[What Are the Water Well Setback Requirements in Texas?](https://waterwelldrillingweatherford.com/learn/water-well-setback-requirements-texas/).** The distances a new well must keep from septic systems, property lines, pens and other wells, under state rules and the Upper Trinity district.
- Decision Guide **[Well Water vs City Water in Weatherford: Which Costs Less?](https://waterwelldrillingweatherford.com/learn/well-water-vs-city-water-weatherford/).** A side-by-side using the City of Weatherford's current rates and real well ownership costs.

[Residential Well Drilling service](https://waterwelldrillingweatherford.com/services/residential-well-drilling/)

## Ask about your property

Share the address area and what you're planning. We'll call back with the nearby well depths and a price range.

Faster by phone, any hour: [(817) 382-3840](tel:+18173823840)