Well Driller List

State rules

New York

New York registers water well contracting businesses with the Department of Environmental Conservation. Environmental Conservation Law section 15-1525 requires any business that conducts water well drilling to register annually before working in the state. The contractor notifies DEC before drilling starts and files a water well completion report when the well is done. A copy of that report also goes to the well owner. Registration applications are accepted all year. A certificate is effective through March 31 of the following year. The department's page says the annual registration fee is $10. On-site drilling must be supervised by someone who has passed two drilling exams, and pump work must be supervised by someone who has passed two pump exams. DEC's registered-contractor search is the official lookup. This record does not copy names.

Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.

Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
Licensing or permitting agency
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Who must hold a credential
Registered water well contractor, with on-site supervisors who have passed the required drilling or pump exams
Official permit or license page
Official page →

The department's exam sheet says each required exam is passed at 70 percent or better. Drilling requires the general drilling exam plus one additional drilling exam, such as air rotary, mud rotary, or cable tool. Pump installation and service require the water systems general exam plus one additional pump exam, for systems under or over 100 gallons per minute. The sheet says each exam is 50 questions, with one noted exception, and that candidates have one hour. The business is responsible for making sure the person supervising the work has passed the exams that match the task. A drilling exam does not by itself cover pump supervision.

Before drilling, the contractor submits a preliminary notice of a proposed water well. After drilling, the completion report goes to DEC and to the owner. The department's consumer sheet says DEC does not charge a fee to submit that completion report. It also says there is no standard well depth, because depth depends on geology, water quality, yield, and the equipment. The consumer sheet tells owners to use the registered-contractor search and to ask about certification before signing. Construction standards for the well itself are Department of Health rules, which the consumer sheet points to separately from the DEC registration.

The Division of Water address on the exam sheet is 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-3508. The sheet prints the email nyswaterwells@dec.ny.gov and the phone 877-472-2619. A homeowner should ask for the business registration and for the exam record of the person who will supervise drilling and, if different, the person who will supervise the pump. The $10 registration fee and the statement that completion reports are not charged by DEC are taken from the department's pages and are not stored in the fee field. The program page is the place to start a registration search.

Official resources in New York

DEC Water Well Contractor Program

Annual business registration, preliminary notice, and completion report.

Water well contractor exam requirements

Which drilling and pump exams are required and the 70 percent score.

Water well consumer protection guide

What the owner should receive and how to check registration.

EPA private drinking water wells

Federal context for private well households.

Key facts for New York

What to do next

  1. Ask for the DEC business registration and check the department's search.
  2. Ask which exams the on-site supervisor has passed for drilling and for the pump.
  3. Ask for your copy of the water well completion report.
  4. Ask the local health department about Department of Health construction standards.

Looking for your city or county in New York?

We haven't found official program-level pages for New York we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:

  1. General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across New York, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
  2. Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
    New York
    Website →
    Your city or county office: Local governments →
    Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the New York page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
  3. Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.

Helpful guides

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