Off-Grid Living in Richland County, Montana

Richland County, Montana is one of the more relaxed places I've researched for off-grid intentions, mostly because it has no countywide zoning ordinance. But "mostly unzoned" isn't the same as "no rules," so let me walk through what I found.

Zoning: Outside a few designated districts (the county's page names the McGlynn Reservoir Zoning District as one example), rural Richland County has no zoning code at all, per the county's own Zoning Commission page. Sidney and Fairview, the incorporated towns, run their own municipal zoning through a joint City/County Planning Board, so if you're inside or near town limits, different rules apply. Confirm which side of that line your parcel sits on before assuming "no zoning" applies to you.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs: I couldn't confirm a county-specific policy on tiny homes or living full-time in an RV on raw land. Montana's state building framework (including IRC Appendix Q for tiny homes) is the presumed baseline. RV parks and trailer courts that operate as businesses are licensed and inspected by the state DPHHS under contract with the county, but that's about commercial parks, not a single owner living on their own unzoned land. Ask the county Building Department directly if you're planning this.

Building permits: Richland County's Building Department, a certified local building code jurisdiction, issues structural permits and administers state-adopted plumbing, mechanical, and electrical codes. Most home projects need more than one permit type, per the county's own building page.

Septic: Required. The county Environmental Health office issues septic permits, layering the state's DEQ-4 wastewater standards, state administrative rule ARM 17.36, and the county's own on-site wastewater regulations. Composting toilets aren't separately addressed on the county site, so I'd treat them as falling under this same DEQ/ARM umbrella until Environmental Health tells you otherwise.

Greywater and rainwater: Neither has a distinct county rule that I could find. Greywater likely falls under the same state DEQ-4/ARM 17.36 wastewater framework as septic. Basic rooftop rainwater collection for non-potable use doesn't appear to be restricted by state or county rule, but nothing county-specific confirms it either way.

Wells and water rights: Handled entirely by the state DNRC, specifically its Glasgow Regional Office, which covers Richland County. The familiar "exempt well" threshold (10 acre-feet/year, 35 gpm) applies statewide. Starting in 2026, DNRC will require a Notice of Intent filing before using an exempt well, so if you're planning a new well, check current DNRC guidance before you sink money into infrastructure.

Utility disconnection: No ordinance requiring or barring grid, water, or sewer hookup for a private home was confirmed at the county level. County complaint procedures suggest unincorporated residents on private well/septic answer to the county Health Department, not a municipal utility, but there's no explicit "off-grid is fine" statement either. When in doubt, call and ask.

Bottom line: Richland County gives you real room to build off-grid outside town limits, but septic, wells, and building permits still funnel through state standards administered locally, so don't skip those calls.