Off-Grid Living in Smith County, Mississippi

I'll be upfront: Smith County, Mississippi doesn't publish a clean, standalone zoning ordinance, building-code adoption page, or environmental-health portal on its official county website (smithcountyms.gov). That's a real gap in the public record, and it means a lot of what I can tell you here is the Mississippi state baseline, with a clear note on what's confirmed at the county level versus what isn't.

Zoning and raw land. Mississippi state law (through the general zoning-enabling statutes for counties) lets the Board of Supervisors adopt zoning for unincorporated areas "for the health, safety, morals or general welfare" of residents. Whether Smith County's Board has actually done this countywide, I could not confirm from an official source. If you're eyeing land here, call the Board of Supervisors directly and ask what applies to your specific parcel.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. No official Smith County page addresses tiny homes or full-time RV living. Mississippi has no statewide law on this either, it's a county-by-county call, so again, this is a "call and ask" situation.

Building permits. No confirmed building-code adoption page for Smith County. Mississippi has no mandatory statewide residential building code; each county decides whether to adopt something like the IRC. Unconfirmed here.

Septic and composting toilets. This one's solid: the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), not the county, administers onsite wastewater permitting statewide under the Individual On-Site Wastewater Disposal Law. You'll need a construction permit before installing a septic system, an MSDH inspection before backfilling, and final approval afterward. This applies to Smith County the same as anywhere else in the state.

Greywater. No separate greywater law in Mississippi. MSDH effectively folds greywater into its onsite wastewater/septic permitting authority, so plan on treating it like wastewater requiring an approved system.

Rainwater harvesting. No state or county rule restricts this. Rain barrels and cisterns appear to be legal without a permit, though I'd confirm with the county if you're building something large-scale.

Wells. Groundwater and well construction fall under the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), not a county office. No Smith County-specific well ordinance was found, so the state framework governs.

Going off-grid utilities. Off-grid solar and generation are legal in Mississippi, but no Smith County ordinance on mandatory grid connection was found. Full disconnection may run into state utility interconnection rules rather than local zoning, but nothing county-specific is confirmed.

Bottom line: for septic and wells, you're dealing with clear state authority (MSDH and MDEQ). For zoning, building codes, and dwelling types, Smith County's own rules aren't published online in a way I could verify, so your best move is a phone call to the Board of Supervisors before you buy land or start building.