Erosion and Sediment Control Application
Applying for an Approved Erosion and Sediment Control Plan
The Financial Responsibility & Ownership Form is now available online! Applicants can apply to any regional office* through the AccessDEQ portal above. This portal may also be used to apply for either standard reviews or those through the Express Review Program using the online form. You can submit an application, pay fees and track its progress. Once your application/plan has been approved, you can log in to the portal to view the details of your permit, update ownership or contact information or submit a request for a plan revision.
Note: The online form should not be used for requesting a Trout Buffer Waiver. Please contact the appropriate regional office for instructions on how to apply.
Detailed instructions for registering and using the Access DEQ Portal (PDF) **The term "Location" or your project name is synonymous with the term "Environmental Interest" used in the guide and instructions.
*For projects that fall under the jurisdiction of a delegated Local Program contact the appropriate agency for application and fee submission requirements.
Applicants, including the financially Responsible Officials (RO) who are associated with the project, must register an account in order to submit a request for their project. Once an applicant has registered within the portal, they can prepare details for a new "Location" (i.e., project site) and start an application. During the creation of a New Location Request or when sharing an application with another, you can assign a role. Roles are defined below. The terms facility/site/project/location refer to a project site involving a land-disturbing activity when associating it with this form, the name of which will appear in a list on the form once you have access to it. (“Location” is a new term that equates to “Project Name” on prior versions of the Financial Responsibility/Ownership Form.)
The following roles and definitions are only applicable to the Erosion and Sediment Control Certificate of Approval Application. Please refer to the information on the NCG01 AccessDEQ Permit System for webpage for additional guidance regarding User Roles for the NCG01 Application.
- Responsible Official (RO) is defined as the representative with the authority to be the primary decision-maker for the property or business function.
- This role is responsible and accountable for compliance.
- Signature Authority
- Ability to Prepare/Submit applications, modifications, data/reports and pay fees. (see individual rules for the program)
- Manage My Team – add DRO, Preparer, Certifier and Admin
- Examples: Owner, Operator, Plant Manager, Corporate Officer, Elected Official, LLC owner/operator, etc.
- Delegated Responsible Official (DRO) is defined as a duly Authorized Representative that has been given specific powers/authority to act on the behalf of the RO. Delegation of duties to the Authorized Representative must be approved in advanced and documented. This role can submit applications and compliance reports.
- A DRO does not have to be an employee of the organization, it can be anyone that had been Authorized by the organization to represent it.
- Permit process to trigger the review of DROs assigned to a RO account for the short-term project DROs
- Signature Authority
- Ability to Prepare/Submit applications, modifications, data/Reports and pay fees. (see individual rules for the program)
- Manage My Team – add Preparer, Certifier and Admin
- Examples: Public Works Director, High Ranking Official, etc.
- Preparer is defined as someone that prepares permit applications or compliance reports on behalf of the DRO or RO.
- This role cannot submit applications or compliance reports.
- Can pay fees on behalf of the DRO or RO once an application has been submitted by the RO/DRO
- Examples: Consultant, Agent, Contractor, etc.
- Financial Administrator is defined as someone that can pay bills/fees on behalf of the DRO or RO.
- Examples: Finance, Billing Agent, etc
Standard Review fee is calculated based on the amount of proposed disturbed area. As of July 1, 2025, the fee is $119 per acre of disturbance or part thereof.
For example:
The total Standard Review fee for a project of 2.5 acres of disturbed acres would be: $119 x 3 = $357
The total Standard Review fee for a project of 8.0 acres of disturbed acres would be: $119 x 8 = $952
Note: Those paying by paper check should make the check payable to ‘NCDEQ’ and hand-deliver or mail it to the appropriate regional office. Visit https://www.deq.nc.gov/about/contact/regional-offices for a list of regional office addresses.
Application documents or fees that are submitted to the incorrect office, such as to the central office, will have to be re-routed to the appropriate regional office and can result in the delay of plan approvals.
To request an Express Review, contact the appropriate Regional Office to get the express review availability. If an Express Review is available, you will need to submit your application through the AccessDEQ Portal linked above. Upload the Express Review Form as an additional document in the application.
Erosion and Sediment Control Express Review Fee: $264 per acre disturbed or part thereof with a maximum of $2,112 (8 acres), projects greater than 8 acres will be charged the maximum $2,112. Plus the standard review fee of $119 per acre or part thereof.
For example:
The total Express Review fee for a project of 5.2 acres of disturbed area would be: $264 x 6 + $119 x 6 = $2,298
The total Express Review fee for a project of 10.5 acres of disturbed area would be: $264 x 8 + $119 = $3,421
A non-refundable "Intake Fee" of $250 must be included with your request for an Express Review. If the Express Review is accepted, the intake fee will be credited towards the express review fee. It is highly recommended to contact the appropriate Regional Office to schedule an application review meeting for determining whether your project qualifies for an Express Review prior to submitting a formal Express Review Request.
Note: Those paying by paper check should make the check payable to ‘NCDEQ’ and hand-deliver or mail it to the appropriate regional office. Visit https://www.deq.nc.gov/about/contact/regional-offices for a list of regional office addresses.
Application documents or fees that are submitted to the incorrect office, such as to the central office, will have to be re-routed to the appropriate regional office and can result in the delay of plan approvals.
Financially Responsible Parties for residential lots under an individual lot plan approval involving a land disturbance of less than one acre may transfer their financial responsibility in accordance with G.S. 113A-54.1(f). The Transfer of Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan Financial Responsibility Notice and the Statement of Financial Responsibility for Erosion and Sedimentation Control are to be completed by the builder or developer conducting the transfer, and submitted to the DEQ regional office where the erosion and sedimentation control plan for the lot was submitted.
Transfer of Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan Financial Responsibility Notice and Statement of Financial Responsibility for Erosion and Sedimentation Control (PDF).
Related Information
- NCG01 Permit Information - After receiving E&SC Plan approval, the next step is to fill out and submit an electronic Notice of Intent (e-NOI) form to receive a Certificate of Coverage (COC) under the NCG01 Permit.
- Erosion and Sediment Education Materials - Including information packets for designers, inspectors, and planners
- Erosion and Sediment Control Planning and Design Manual
- Erosion and Sediment Control Design Calculation Spreadsheets
- Presentation on E&SC for Small Developers and Homebuilders (PDF)