Off-Grid Living in Quay County, New Mexico

I've been digging through Quay County, New Mexico's own records for this one, and the honest headline is: there's a lot of open range here, regulation-wise, once you get outside Tucumcari, Logan, House, or San Jon.

Zoning. Quay County's ordinance page lists a subdivision ordinance (Ordinance 35) and a wireless-facilities siting ordinance (Ordinance 57), but I don't see a comprehensive countywide zoning code. That suggests unincorporated land in Quay County has little formal zoning, which lines up with the pattern in a lot of rural New Mexico counties. If your parcel sits inside Tucumcari, Logan, House, or San Jon, though, zoning is handled by that town's own office, so check there first.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I couldn't find a Quay County rule specifically on tiny homes or living in an RV full-time. Statewide, manufactured and modular homes fall under codes from the state's Construction Industries Division, with mobile homes under the state Manufactured Housing Division. But whether that applies cleanly to your situation in Quay County isn't confirmed, so I'd call the county and CID directly.

Building permits. I don't see a dedicated county building department on Quay County's official site. New Mexico generally lets cities and counties issue permits under state minimum codes, and where a county has no building department, the state's Construction Industries Division often fills the gap. My best read is unincorporated Quay County likely falls to CID, but that's not confirmed on an official county page, so treat it as a question to ask rather than a settled answer.

Septic. This one's solid: New Mexico's Environment Department runs the Liquid Waste Program statewide, and Quay County doesn't appear to have its own septic ordinance (only Bernalillo County does, statewide). You can even qualify as a homeowner-installer after passing NMED's exam, then get a Permit to Construct, a final inspection, and a Permit to Operate.

Greywater and rainwater. Both are permitted under New Mexico's statewide rules, with no Quay County override that I found. Small residential greywater systems are allowed under NMED's rule without a permit if you meet the design requirements, and rainwater harvesting is broadly encouraged by the state.

Wells. Well drilling and water rights are a state matter, run by the Office of the State Engineer, not the county. Quay County has its own 40-Year Water Plan for regional planning purposes, but that doesn't replace OSE's permitting authority.

Utilities. I found no countywide requirement to hook up to grid power or water in unincorporated Quay County, and no statewide mandate either. That's consistent with how thin the county's zoning presence is generally.

Bottom line: Quay County leans on New Mexico's state defaults for most off-grid essentials, and the gaps I couldn't nail down (unincorporated building permits, RV occupancy, utility hookup mandates) are worth a direct call to the county and to CID before you commit to a plan.