Off-Grid Living in McKinley County, New Mexico

I've been digging into McKinley County, New Mexico for anyone thinking about buying land out here and living off-grid, and the short version is: this is one of the looser counties in the state on paper, but "loose" doesn't mean "no rules" - it means the rules mostly come from the state, not the county.

Zoning. McKinley County (seat: Gallup) has no general/countywide zoning ordinance. The county itself confirms this on its FAQ page - land use is guided by Subdivision Regulations from 1997 and a County Master Plan rather than zoning districts. That's a real difference from many counties, and it generally means fewer restrictions on how you occupy raw land in unincorporated areas. But this does NOT extend to the City of Gallup or to Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo trust lands, which have entirely separate governing authorities. If your parcel is anywhere near those boundaries, check jurisdiction first.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I couldn't find an official McKinley County document that specifically addresses tiny-home minimum sizes, RV occupancy, or manufactured home siting. Given the lack of general zoning, it's plausible the county is hands-off here, but I'm not going to assert that without a document backing it up - call the county planning contacts below to confirm before you commit.

Building permits. McKinley County hasn't adopted its own building code, so this falls to the state's Construction Industries Division (CID). CID enforces the 2021 NMAC 14.5.2 New Mexico Residential Building Code (based on the 2021 IRC with NM amendments), plus the 2021 Commercial code, 2020 NEC, and 2021 Plumbing, Mechanical, and Energy Conservation codes. The Gallup Regional CID office is your practical local contact.

Septic and composting toilets. Bernalillo County is the only county in New Mexico with its own septic ordinance - everywhere else, including McKinley, is regulated directly by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) under its statewide liquid waste rule (20.7.3 NMAC). Homeowners can install their own systems but have to pass a qualifying exam first. The Gallup NMED field office handles this locally.

Greywater. Same story - no county-specific rule, so NMED's statewide greywater exemption (20.7.3.810 NMAC) for small systems applies.

Rainwater harvesting. No county restriction found; the state generally encourages rooftop rainwater collection and I found nothing overriding that here.

Wells and water rights. This is where things tighten up. The Office of the State Engineer (OSE) requires a permit to use water in New Mexico, and a separate driller's license is required to drill a well - it's unlawful to drill without one. McKinley County has no well ordinance of its own; it's all OSE, through whichever district office covers this basin.

Utility disconnection. No county ordinance was found requiring hookups for occupancy. Given the lack of zoning, it's plausible there's no local mandate, but I haven't found anything official confirming that either way.

Bottom line: county government here stays out of your business more than most, but the state fills in nearly every gap through CID, NMED, and OSE. Confirm anything dwelling-type or utility-related directly with the county before you build.