Off-Grid Living in Sullivan County, Indiana

If you're eyeing unincorporated Sullivan County, Indiana for an off-grid setup, here's what I could actually confirm, and what's still murky, from official sources.

First, an important line to draw: Sullivan County government (through Planning and Zoning and the County Commissioners) only has authority over unincorporated land. The City of Sullivan and the towns of Farmersburg, Carlisle, and Dugger run their own separate zoning and permitting. If your parcel sits inside any of those municipal boundaries, none of what follows applies, you'd need that town's own code office instead.

Zoning. Sullivan County does have a countywide zoning resolution, administered by its Planning and Zoning function, with districts and use classifications. I could not locate the actual ordinance text on the county's own site, so I can't tell you specific acreage minimums or setbacks. You'd want to call the County Commissioners' office to find out who currently handles zoning questions and get the district rules for your specific parcel.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The information I found on permanent-foundation and Improvement Location Permit requirements came from a third-party ADU guide, not the county itself, so I'm treating it as unconfirmed. Indiana's statewide building code baseline likely applies, but confirm locally.

Building permits. Indiana uses an IRC-based statewide residential code baseline. Sullivan County almost certainly issues some form of Improvement Location or building permit for unincorporated areas, but I couldn't find the county's own permitting page to confirm mechanics or fees.

Septic. This one is solid and confirmed. The Sullivan County Health Department requires a permit before any new construction, installation, or repair of a septic system, full stop, and their own guidance says to call before breaking ground. The county operates under Indiana's statewide Onsite Sewage Rule (410 IAC 6-8.3) plus its own local ordinance. Composting toilets aren't addressed in what I found, so don't assume one can substitute for septic without asking the Health Department directly.

Greywater. No county-specific rule found. State baseline treats greywater as sewage needing septic-compliant handling, and the Health Department that issues septic permits would be the one to ask.

Rainwater harvesting. No ordinance restricting it was found. Presumed fine under state baseline, but that's an absence-of-evidence conclusion, not a green light in writing.

Wells. Indiana doesn't require a state drilling permit, but most counties, including likely Sullivan, require a local health department permit, and setback specifics are often set locally even though state code just says "as far as practicable." Wells are built to state construction standards under DNR's Division of Water. Call the county Health Department to confirm local well permitting practice before you site anything.

Off-grid utilities. No county ordinance requiring hookup to electric, water, or sewer utilities was found. Indiana has no statewide mandatory-hookup law that I'm aware of, but any local rule would be set at the county or town level and I didn't find one either way.

Bottom line: septic is tightly regulated and well-documented; zoning, building, wells, and utilities all likely have real rules but the exact figures live in documents I couldn't pull up, so a phone call is genuinely necessary here, not just a formality.