Off-Grid Living in Treasure County, Montana

I'll be upfront: Treasure County, Montana is one of the toughest places I've researched to pin down with certainty, simply because it's so small and lightly staffed. There's no shame in that. It's Montana's second-least-populous county, seated in Hysham, and my digging turned up a county Planning Department contact page but not the kind of ordinance text, septic regulations, or building code adoption resolutions I'd want to hand you as gospel. So a lot of what follows is the Montana state baseline, clearly marked as such, with a strong recommendation to call the county before you buy land or start building.

Zoning. Montana has no statewide zoning code. Counties can only create zoning in unincorporated areas through a landowner petition process under Mont. Code Ann. § 76-2-101, which requires signatures from a majority of affected property owners. I found no document confirming Treasure County has done this countywide. That likely means a lot of flexibility for raw land, but "likely" isn't "confirmed," so ask the county Planning Board directly.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. No county-specific rule turned up, so the state baseline applies: Montana recognizes Appendix Q for foundation-built tiny homes, and wheeled tiny homes are generally treated as RVs. I found nothing suggesting Treasure County has layered its own rules on top of that.

Building permits. This is a real gray area. Montana exempts single-family homes from state building permit jurisdiction unless the county has opted in. I could not confirm whether Treasure County has opted in. This is worth a direct phone call before you build anything.

Septic and composting toilets. Statewide, DEQ sets the minimum design and siting standards (Circular DEQ-4), and local health departments or sanitarians issue individual permits. Treasure County is listed in the state's health department directory, but small counties like this one sometimes contract sanitarian services from a neighboring county. Confirm who's actually issuing permits before you plan a septic system.

Greywater. No county rule found, so the state administrative rule applies: limited in-home reuse is allowed without a permit, but subsurface irrigation with greywater is restricted.

Rainwater harvesting. Nothing restricts it locally, and Montana's general posture toward small-scale, non-potable rooftop collection is permissive.

Wells. No county well ordinance found. Montana's exempt-well provisions apply statewide, administered by DNRC, letting you drill a small-volume well without a pre-drilling permit but requiring you to file a notice of completion afterward.

Off-grid utility disconnection. I found no statute or county document requiring a grid or municipal hookup for a private home. But septic siting and water rules for any permitted structure can create de facto requirements, so this isn't a guaranteed green light for full disconnection.

Bottom line: Treasure County's small size cuts both ways. It may mean less bureaucracy, but it also means less documentation online, so plan on making a few phone calls before you commit to a parcel.