Mississippi Stakeholders,
Thanks to the diligent efforts of the Mississippi Damage Prevention Committee, we are delighted to announce the successful passage of House Bill HB1191. This crucial legislation is set to take effect on July 1st, 2025, marking yet another significant milestone in enhancing safety and efficiency within our industry.
The following information is a summary of the changes contained in HB1191. Please note that this summary is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice or a definitive interpretation of the law. Mississippi 811 assumes no liability for any actions taken or not taken based on the information in this notice. Please refer to HB1191 for the exact legislative text.
Physical Pre-Marking Exceptions (aka White-Lining) Physical pre-marking will not be required if: (a) the excavation is performed on property owned by the excavator, and the proposed excavation area is clearly and adequately described in the locate request ticket, or (b) the proposed excavation area is electronically pre-marked.
Electronic pre-marking is a process in which the excavator submits a locate request ticket through the Web Portal and simultaneously pre-marks the approximate boundary of the proposed excavation area on the Mississippi 811 Web Portal map by drawing lines, points, or polygon geometries, providing a clear visual of the proposed excavation or demolition area. Locate request tickets must be completed in full by the excavator; tickets processed by MS811 agents will not qualify as electronically pre-marked. Permission to perform electronic pre-marking will be granted only after completing brief training with MS811.
Longer Locate Request Ticket Life
The locate request ticket life will be extended from 14 to 20 calendar days.
Preserving Markings
The excavator will be required to preserve all markings until they are no longer needed for proper and safe excavation. This means that reasonable care must be taken to avoid disturbing or destroying the markings. If marks become unclear while work continues, the excavator must contact MS811 for a remark; however, repeated remark requests may only be made when necessary due to circumstances beyond the excavator’s control.
Tolerance Zone
The tolerance zone has been clearly defined as 18 inches from both sides of the marks, and clarification that excavators must take certain precautions when excavating within the tolerance zone, including exposing the buried utilities and other damage prevention measures, has been added.
Emergency Excavation Locate Deadline
Utilities will be required to respond to “Emergency” tickets within 2 hours, and the excavator will be required to provide contact information for a person who will be on-site during the emergency excavation when submitting the locate request.
Large Project Excavation
A voluntary process has been introduced for large, complex excavation projects, where excavators, utilities, and locators may collaborate in a preconstruction meeting to align excavation and locating schedules before submitting locate request tickets. This aims to reduce repeated and unnecessary locates by enabling utilities to mark only areas where excavators will be digging at specified times.
Submerged Excavation
Under current law, submerged excavation activities—such as dredging and anchoring—are subject to standard excavation requirements. However, the 3 working day time limits and safe digging distances are impractical and inconsistent with best practices for submerged excavation. Wording has been added to establish a practical process for submerged excavation.
Electric Generation Facility Requirements
A locate request will not be required for excavation activities that occur entirely within the secured property of an electric power generation facility, provided the work does not take place on any marked rights-of-way, easements, or other permitted utility access areas.
A copy of HB1191 and a detailed summary of the above law changes can be found on the MS811 website under the “Laws & Policies” dropdown menu, or you can access them by clicking on the links below.
2025 Excavation Law Amendments Summary
We encourage all stakeholders to familiarize themselves with the contents of HB1191 as soon as possible to ensure compliance with the law once it takes effect. Please share this information with anyone you feel may need to know this information. We are committed to supporting our industry partners through this transition and ensuring a smooth and successful implementation process. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.