Find California Water Use Permits, Water Rights and Application Status
Search official California water rights records, check whether a permit or license has been issued, review pending applications, and identify the agency responsible for your water-use question.
Official records are maintained by California government agencies. CountyPermitSearch.org is an independent research guide and does not issue water rights or permits.
To perform a California water use permit search, start with the State Water Resources Control Board’s California Water Accounting, Tracking, and Reporting System (CalWATRS). It provides access to state water rights information, including applications, permits, licenses, and related records. The older eWRIMS public database remains useful for historical research but is no longer updated.
The correct search depends on what you need to verify. A surface-water diversion authorization, a groundwater well construction permit, and a wastewater discharge permit are different records, often managed by different agencies. This guide explains how to identify the correct system before relying on a permit result.
CalWATRS has replaced eWRIMS and the former Water Rights Online Forms system for active state water-rights services. The state says new water-right permit applications must be submitted through CalWATRS. The legacy eWRIMS public database stopped receiving updates on June 9, 2025, so its records should not be treated as a complete source of current permit status.
Where to Search California Water Use Permits
There is no single California database covering every kind of water-related permit. The State Water Board administers the state water-rights permitting and licensing program. Local agencies administer most well construction permits, while other Water Boards programs address water quality and discharges.
CalWATRS — Current Records
Best for: Current water-right applications, permit and license records, associated documents, and annual reporting services.
Use the public record search to review a water right before pursuing account-based actions.
Search CalWATRS ↗eWRIMS — Historical Records
Best for: Cross-checking older water-right records and historical identifiers.
Its public interface includes application, permit, license, owner, county, status and source search fields, but historical results may not reflect recent changes.
Open Historical eWRIMS ↗Local Well Permitting Agencies
Best for: Permits to construct, alter or destroy groundwater wells.
The California Department of Water Resources provides a directory of county, city and water-agency permitting authorities.
Find Your Local Well Agency ↗SGMA Portal — Groundwater Management
Best for: Groundwater sustainability agency information, sustainability plans and groundwater basin management records.
This portal is not a substitute for a local well permit record search.
Open the SGMA Portal ↗If the question is whether someone has state authorization to divert water from a river, stream or other regulated source, begin with CalWATRS. If the question is whether a property owner received permission to drill a well, contact the local well permitting authority.
How to Search California Water Rights Records Online
The official record search is designed for finding water-right information, not for issuing a permit based solely on a property address. You can usually narrow a search considerably if you know the water-right holder, application number, permit identifier, or water source.
Open the official CalWATRS portal
Go to CalWATRS using the California State Water Resources Control Board’s official link. Look for the public Search Records & Documents function.
You do not need to submit a new water-right application just to begin researching existing public records.
Gather known information
Useful information includes the application number, permit or license number, water-right holder’s name, county, water source, and approximate point of diversion.
Start with a strong identifier if available. A person’s name or county alone can produce multiple unrelated records.
Run a focused records search
Enter the relevant criteria using the search options displayed in CalWATRS. If your first search produces no result, simplify the criteria and check for a previous owner’s name or an older identifier.
Do not assume a permit is nonexistent merely because a street-address search does not find it. Water-right records are not necessarily indexed like parcel or building permits.
Open the matching water-right record
Compare the holder, record type, source, county, status and available identifiers. Review associated documents where the system provides them.
If several entries appear similar, check their supporting documents rather than relying only on a summary row.
Review status, terms and supporting documents
Look for the actual authorization document, applicable limitations, authorized point of diversion, purpose of use, quantity, diversion season and relevant conditions. The precise information available depends on the record.
For pending applications, compare the record with the state’s application processing information and milestone reporting.
Confirm significant findings with the Division of Water Rights
If the result will be used for a property transaction, major investment, enforcement question or project design, request confirmation or the underlying record from the responsible agency.
Keep the application number and the date you searched. Agency records can change as applications progress or rights are modified.
Finding an application or a historical diversion statement does not, by itself, prove that a particular diversion is presently authorized. Review the legal basis of the right and any conditions, restrictions, subsequent orders or changes.
What Types of Water Use Records Can You Find?
California uses several categories of water rights and related records. Understanding the difference matters because a statement, an application, a permit and a license are not interchangeable.
| Record Type | What It Means | What to Verify |
|---|---|---|
| Application | A request for authorization to appropriate water, subject to review and approval. | Whether it remains pending, was rejected, withdrawn, denied, or resulted in a permit. |
| Water Right Permit | Authorizes development of a diversion and beneficial-use project under stated conditions. | Quantity, timing, source, place of use, deadlines and conditions. |
| Water Right License | Confirms the amount of water actually put to reasonable and beneficial use through the permitted project. | Licensed quantities, beneficial uses and continuing conditions. |
| Statement of Diversion and Use | A filing reporting diversion or use under a claimed water-right basis. | Claimed basis, reporting history and whether additional evidence establishes the right. |
| Registration or Certificate | May document a water right handled through a qualifying statutory registration process. | Registration category, applicable conditions and continued compliance. |
| Petition or Change Record | Concerns a requested change associated with an existing water right. | Whether the requested change has been approved and whether conditions apply. |
Application numbers, permit numbers and license numbers
A water-right record may carry different identifiers as it progresses from application to permit and possibly license. When researching an older project, collect every identifier shown in the available documents.
For example, a property file might reference an older application while a later agency document refers to a permit. Searching both can help connect the records, but do not assume that every application ultimately becomes a license.
What does a point of diversion mean?
A point of diversion is the location where water is taken from its source. It is an essential part of understanding the geographic scope of many water rights.
For property research, compare the authorized diversion location and place of use against the parcel or project under review. The water-right holder’s mailing address may be different from the physical diversion location.
How to Check California Water Use Permit Application Status
To monitor an active water-right application, use CalWATRS Search Records & Documents and the State Water Board’s Milestone Summary Report. The latter provides summary processing information about applications pending with the Division of Water Rights.
Record-Level Status
Review the application’s displayed status and available documents. Look for completeness notices, agency correspondence, public notices, protests, decisions or a resulting permit.
Milestone Information
Use the state’s application milestone reporting to understand where a pending application stands and identify the assigned lead staff when that information is available.
Open the official Water Rights Applications page for links to the current milestone report and permitting guidance.
How to interpret common application stages
| Stage | What It Usually Indicates | Next Action |
|---|---|---|
| Filed or received | An application has been submitted to the agency. | Check completeness and fee requirements. |
| Deficiency review | Additional information or corrections may be necessary. | Review the agency’s notice and respond within the stated period. |
| Environmental or technical review | Water availability, environmental issues or other project factors are being examined. | Review requests for technical evidence and supporting documentation. |
| Notice or protest stage | The application may be subject to public notice or objections. | Check the notice, protest details and resolution process. |
| Decision or issuance | The agency has taken action on the application. | Read the actual decision or permit rather than relying on a status summary. |
These are explanatory stages, not a list of guaranteed CalWATRS status labels. The actual record and correspondence govern an individual case.
Who Needs a California Water Use Permit?
California’s surface-water rights system distinguishes appropriative rights from other recognized rights, including riparian rights. A new post-1914 appropriation of regulated surface water generally requires State Water Board authorization unless a valid exception or different recognized right applies.
Appropriative surface-water rights
Appropriative rights generally relate to taking water for beneficial use under applicable priority rules. New appropriations ordinarily proceed through a State Water Board permitting or qualifying registration process.
The state evaluates water availability, existing rights, environmental impacts and public-interest considerations before issuing a regular permit.
Riparian water rights
Riparian rights may attach to land adjoining a natural watercourse under California law. Their scope depends on the circumstances, including the property and the use of water.
A riparian owner does not automatically need a new appropriative permit to exercise a valid riparian right, but reporting, use restrictions and other legal requirements may still apply. A parcel’s proximity to a stream is not enough to establish the legal extent of the right.
Pre-1914 appropriative rights
Some valid appropriative rights originated before the state’s modern permitting system began on December 19, 1914. Such rights may exist without a modern water-right permit or license.
Historical claims require careful examination. The age of a pump, diversion structure or property ownership record does not independently prove a valid pre-1914 right.
Groundwater and subterranean streams
The State Water Board generally does not issue water-right permits for ordinary groundwater extraction. An important exception involves groundwater flowing in a subterranean stream through a known and definite channel.
Groundwater pumping can still be subject to local regulation, groundwater sustainability requirements, adjudications and other restrictions.
A farmer planning to divert creek water for irrigation should not assume the proposed diversion is authorized merely because the land touches the watercourse. The farmer must determine whether a valid riparian or appropriative right applies, whether the proposed use falls within that right, and whether any additional regulatory approvals are required.
Purchasing water from an authorized supplier
Customers receiving water through a public water system or another authorized supplier generally do not apply for their own State Water Board appropriative water-right permit merely to use the delivered water. The supply arrangement and any separate project requirements still matter.
For a detailed official explanation, read the State Water Board’s water-right application FAQs.
How to Apply for a California Water Right Permit
Before applying, determine whether the proposed diversion requires a new appropriative right, a change to an existing right, or another type of authorization. Filing an unnecessary or incomplete application can create substantial expense and delay.
Information commonly required
- Applicant and responsible party information.
- Name and location of the water source.
- Proposed point or points of diversion.
- Quantity of water requested.
- Proposed purpose and place of beneficial use.
- Season and rate of diversion.
- Project infrastructure and development information.
- Water availability evidence appropriate to the project.
- Environmental information and supporting materials.
- Applicable filing fees and additional documentation.
The regular permitting sequence
- Check eligibility and existing rights. Determine whether a new authorization is needed and whether the proposed source is affected by restrictions or adjudications.
- Prepare the proposed water-use project. Document the source, diversion, amount and intended beneficial use.
- Submit the application in CalWATRS. Follow the official instructions and pay the required fees.
- Respond to completeness review. Address deficiencies identified by the Division of Water Rights.
- Complete technical and environmental review. Water availability, California Environmental Quality Act requirements and other applicable policies may affect the project.
- Participate in public notice or protest proceedings. Resolve objections or participate in further review or hearings where required.
- Review the Board’s decision. If approved, follow every condition and development deadline in the issued permit.
- Develop the project and document beneficial use. A subsequent licensing process may confirm the water reasonably and beneficially used under the permit.
The State Water Board identifies special considerations for fully appropriated streams, certain Northern California coastal stream areas and adjudicated sources. Applicants should review those restrictions before making major project commitments.
Temporary permits and groundwater recharge
California also has temporary permitting pathways for qualifying projects. Projects that divert surface water for underground storage and later beneficial use may require an appropriative water right or an approved change to an existing right.
A groundwater recharge project is not automatically exempt simply because the water will be stored underground. The legal requirements depend on the source, diversion, intended use and applicable statutory provisions.
For specialized projects, consult the State Water Board’s groundwater recharge permitting FAQs.
California Water Right Permit Fees and Processing Times
Water-right applications can involve more than a basic submission charge. The total depends on the proposed diversion, current fee schedules, technical studies, environmental review and the complexity of the proceedings.
| Cost Category | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Application fee | A state fee determined under the current water-right fee schedule, including the amount of water proposed for diversion. |
| Fish and wildlife-related charges | Additional statutory fees may apply to the filing and environmental review. |
| Water availability studies | Engineering or hydrologic analysis may be necessary to support a proposed appropriation. |
| Environmental documents | CEQA review and consultant work may create significant additional expenses. |
| Professional assistance | Legal, engineering and environmental consulting fees vary with project complexity. |
| Ongoing compliance | Annual fees, reporting, measurement and other permit obligations may apply. |
Fees are subject to change. Use the current schedule linked from the Division of Water Rights website rather than assuming an older published fee remains valid.
How long does a regular water-right application take?
The State Water Board’s permitting program currently describes an estimated five to seven years for regular-priority projects, measured from receipt of the application to a decision. This is a program estimate, not a guaranteed processing time for an individual application.
Project complexity, application completeness, water availability, environmental analysis, protests and agency priorities can affect the schedule.
A technically complicated water-right project can require substantial studies and consultant costs before authorization is issued. Applicants should establish project-specific estimates before treating the proposal as financially feasible.
California Groundwater Well Permits vs. Water Rights Permits
A common research mistake is searching state surface-water records for a permit to drill a groundwater well. These are usually separate regulatory matters.
California’s Department of Water Resources explains that regulatory authority over well construction, alteration and destruction generally rests with local jurisdictions, which may be counties, cities or water agencies.
| Your Question | Starting Authority | Recommended Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Is there a state surface-water right? | State Water Board, Division of Water Rights | CalWATRS |
| Was a groundwater well construction permit issued? | Local well permitting agency | DWR permitting agency directory |
| Which groundwater sustainability agency covers a basin? | DWR / applicable groundwater sustainability agency | SGMA Portal |
| Does the project require a water discharge permit? | Applicable State or Regional Water Board program | California Water Boards |
How the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act affects water use
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) establishes a framework for managing groundwater in applicable California basins. Groundwater sustainability agencies may establish management measures affecting extraction, depending on the basin and local plan.
To research a groundwater project, identify the basin and governing agency, then review the relevant groundwater sustainability plan and local rules. The existence of a well construction permit does not necessarily establish an unrestricted right to extract groundwater.
How to locate the local well permit office
- Open the DWR Well Permitting Agencies directory.
- Find the property’s county.
- Identify the county, city or water agency responsible for the specific location.
- Ask whether its well records are searchable online or must be requested directly.
- Confirm that the record covers the actual proposed activity, including construction, alteration or destruction.
Some counties have more than one listed enforcing agency, so the county name alone may not establish which agency has jurisdiction.
What If a California Water Use Permit Cannot Be Found?
No search result is not the same as proof that no water right exists. Older rights, inaccurate identifiers, record migration and the use of different legal or ownership names can complicate research.
No record appears for the property address
Search by the water-right holder, source or known identifier rather than relying on a parcel address. A water right may be associated with a diversion location that differs from the mailing or property address.
The record appears only in eWRIMS
Check the corresponding information in CalWATRS and, if necessary, contact the Division of Water Rights. The older system ceased updating records in June 2025.
The application is pending for a long time
Review CalWATRS and the Milestone Summary Report, then contact the assigned lead staff listed in official processing information. Have the application number and relevant correspondence ready.
The listed owner is different
Investigate the original holder, subsequent transfers or changes and applicable ownership records. Do not infer that a state water-right record automatically transferred with every real estate transaction.
The database shows a license, but documents are missing
Seek the underlying license and associated orders or amendments through the state records process. A summary entry may not reveal every applicable condition.
You cannot access an existing CalWATRS account
CalWATRS uses new account credentials; older eWRIMS usernames and passwords do not work in the replacement system. The state also explains that existing water-right holders may need a personal identification number (PIN) to associate their records with an account.
For access assistance, contact CalWATRS-help@waterboards.ca.gov. Do not send passwords or sensitive identification information through an unsecured public contact form.
- Ask the seller for every known application, permit and license number.
- Compare the water-right source and place of use with the property.
- Obtain the actual permit or license and relevant amendments.
- Confirm whether other rights, restrictions or orders affect the diversion.
- Check groundwater well and local agency records separately.
- Obtain qualified legal advice when water access materially affects a transaction.
California Water Rights Agencies and Contact Information
State Water Resources Control Board — Division of Water Rights
The Division of Water Rights administers California’s state water-rights permitting and licensing program and maintains the associated official records.
Water rights inquiries: (916) 341-5300
Application guidance: Water Rights Applications and Permitting Program
CalWATRS support: CalWATRS-help@waterboards.ca.gov
California Department of Water Resources
DWR provides state groundwater management information and a directory of the local agencies responsible for many well construction permitting activities.
Well permitting directory: Find Local Permitting Agencies
Groundwater management: California SGMA Program
Is an in-person visit necessary?
For most initial statewide water-right record searches, begin online. The specific office or staff member handling a pending application may depend on the case. Contact the responsible division before traveling, mailing original documents or assuming a public counter can resolve the matter.
A single statewide office map is not included here because California water-use questions may belong to the State Water Board, a regional board, a local well permitting agency or a groundwater sustainability agency. The official directories above provide a more reliable way to find the appropriate authority.
California Water Use Permit Search FAQs
1. How do I search for a California water use permit online?
Use the State Water Board’s CalWATRS system and its Search Records & Documents feature. Search using a known application or permit number, water-right holder or other available criteria. Verify the matching record and supporting documents before relying on the result.
2. Is CalWATRS the official California water rights database?
Yes. CalWATRS is the State Water Board’s active system for state water-rights records, reporting and related services. It replaced the older eWRIMS platform for active water-rights functions.
3. Can I still search the old eWRIMS database?
Yes. The legacy public search remains available for historical records, but its data has not been updated since June 9, 2025. Use CalWATRS for current information and check with the agency when necessary.
4. Can I look up a California water right by owner name?
Owner or holder names can be useful search criteria. Historical eWRIMS includes a primary-owner field, while CalWATRS provides search capabilities for water-right records. Use additional identifiers to distinguish similarly named parties.
5. Does every California property with a well need a state water-right permit?
No. Ordinary groundwater extraction generally does not require a State Water Board water-right permit, although local well construction permits and groundwater management requirements may apply. A key exception involves certain subterranean streams flowing in known and definite channels.
6. What is the difference between a water-right permit and a license?
A permit authorizes development of a water-diversion project subject to its conditions. After the permitted project is developed and the water is beneficially used, the State Water Board may issue a license confirming the quantity actually put to reasonable and beneficial use.
7. How do I check the status of a pending water-right application?
Search the application in CalWATRS, review available documents, and consult the Milestone Summary Report linked from the State Water Board’s permitting program. Contact assigned staff for case-specific questions.
8. How much does a California water-right permit cost?
The cost depends on the requested diversion and applicable fees. Applicants may also incur expenses for technical studies, fish and wildlife fees, environmental review and professional assistance. Check the current official fee schedule before filing.
9. Can a California water right exist without a modern permit?
Yes. Certain valid riparian rights and pre-1914 appropriative rights may exist without a modern permit or license. Their existence and scope must be evaluated using the applicable law and supporting evidence.
10. What should I do if my California water-right record is missing or incorrect?
Try related identifiers and historical holder names, then consult CalWATRS guidance or contact the Division of Water Rights. For significant discrepancies, request review of the underlying official documents rather than treating a search summary as definitive.
Official California Water Rights Resources
The following state agency resources provide the source material and live access points needed to verify water-right records, program procedures and local jurisdiction.
California Water Accounting, Tracking, and Reporting System
Current state water-right records, application documents and water-right holder services.
Official CalWATRS information and guidance ↗State Water Board — Water Rights Applications
Permitting requirements, application processing, water availability review, public notice and program contacts.
Official permitting and licensing program ↗State Water Board — Water Rights Applications FAQs
Guidance on permit requirements, licenses, groundwater exceptions and water-right categories.
Official water-right application FAQs ↗Historical eWRIMS Public Records
Historical applications, permits, licenses, statements and related water-right records.
Historical public search menu ↗DWR — California Well Permitting Agencies
Directory of local jurisdictions administering well construction, alteration and destruction permits.
Official local agency directory ↗DWR — Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Portal
Groundwater sustainability agencies, plans, adjudicated areas and related groundwater management information.
Official SGMA Portal ↗What to Do After Finding a Water Use Record
Once you locate a matching record, save the water-right identifier and review the underlying permit, license or application documents. Check whether the record covers the proposed source, diversion location, place of use and quantity of water.
If the matter involves a property purchase, a new diversion, a disputed right or an investment decision, obtain authoritative confirmation and appropriate professional advice before acting. State water-right records should also be considered alongside applicable local permitting and groundwater management requirements.