Off-Grid Living in Curry County, New Mexico

I've been digging through Curry County's official documents, and here's the honest picture for anyone thinking about going off-grid out there.

First, a correction to a common assumption: unlike some rural New Mexico counties that have no zoning at all, Curry County has adopted its own countywide Zoning Ordinance, administered by the county's Planning Director. That means raw land isn't a free-for-all here. Minimum lot sizes and allowed uses depend on which zone district your parcel sits in (for example, the RR zone ties minimum lot sizes to the comprehensive plan, running 2, 5, or 10 acres). Before you buy or build, I'd call the Planning & Zoning office and get your parcel's zone confirmed.

On dwellings, tiny homes, and RVs: I could not find Curry County text that specifically spells out rules for full-time RV living or tiny-home minimum sizes. The zoning ordinance does address dwelling types and accessory dwelling units in some residential zones, but the specifics for off-grid style housing aren't confirmed. Don't assume either way, ask the Planning Director's office directly.

For actual construction, Curry County doesn't appear to run its own building-code enforcement in unincorporated areas. Instead, the State of New Mexico's Construction Industries Division (part of the Regulation & Licensing Department) issues the State Building Permit for these areas. If you want to do your own electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work, the state requires you to pass a CID homeowner exam first, per state administrative code.

Septic systems are permitted and regulated at the state level, through NMED's Onsite Wastewater Program. I found no separate Curry County septic ordinance, so the county follows the state's liquid waste rules. Greywater reuse and rainwater harvesting look similarly permitted under state rules, with no county-specific restrictions turning up in my research, so New Mexico's general allowances apply.

Wells are a bigger deal here. Any household well needs a permit from the Office of the State Engineer, and Curry County falls under OSE's Water Rights District No. 2, based in Roswell. That's your local contact point for well permitting and water rights questions.

Finally, on disconnecting entirely from utilities, I found nothing in Curry County's ordinances that either requires or bans full utility disconnection for occupancy. This would most likely surface through the zoning ordinance's building or occupancy permit process, but it's not confirmed, so ask the Planning Director's office directly if this matters for your plans.

Bottom line: Curry County is zoned, not a blank slate, and most of the water/waste/building rules trace back to state agencies rather than a distinct county code. Confirm everything with the offices below before you commit to a piece of land.