Off-Grid Living in Santa Fe County, New Mexico

I've been digging into Santa Fe County, New Mexico for anyone dreaming of an off-grid setup here, and the first thing I need to say clearly is: this county actually has countywide zoning. That surprises people coming from other rural New Mexico counties where "no zoning" is the norm. Santa Fe County's Sustainable Land Development Code (SLDC), adopted under Ordinance 2016-9, applies to all building and development in the unincorporated county and requires a development permit. It does NOT apply inside the cities of Santa Fe, Edgewood, or Espanola, or on Pueblo lands, and there's a separate joint city/county extraterritorial zone (SPPaZo) near the city with its own rules. Everything below is for unincorporated county land outside those areas, so confirm your parcel's status with the county before you plan anything.

Zoning: Every parcel sits in a base zoning district, possibly with an overlay, per the SLDC. There's no "just go build" option here the way there is in some NM counties.

Dwellings, RVs, tiny homes: This is where things get restrictive. RVs, yurts, tents, and mobile tiny homes fall under a "Camps, camping, and related establishments" use category, not standard dwelling status, and whether that's a simple permit, a conditional use hearing, or outright prohibited depends entirely on your zoning district. ADUs are allowed but capped at 50% of the primary home's heated floor area and must stay under 1,400 square feet, per SLDC Section 10.4.

Building codes: The county has adopted the state's minimum building codes (NM Commercial, Residential, Earthen Building Materials, and Residential Energy Conservation codes), and NM Construction Industries Division handles trade inspections and the Certificate of Occupancy.

Septic and composting toilets: These run through the state, NMED's Liquid Waste Program, not a separate county permit system. Licensed contractors handle most installs, though homeowners can sometimes install simple systems themselves after passing a written test. At least one county planning-area ordinance explicitly blesses composting toilets and greywater "split-system" setups as long as they meet NMED rules.

Greywater: Governed by the state rule, I found no evidence the county piles on extra restrictions here.

Rainwater harvesting: Unlike the state's more permissive "encouraged" stance, Santa Fe County actually requires rainwater catchment for all commercial and residential development under Ordinance 2003-6, including a water harvesting plan submitted with your permit application for one-to-four-unit homes.

Wells: The state Office of the State Engineer issues all well permits, but if you're inside the county water utility's service area, you also need a county domestic well permit, and the county can deny that permit if hookup to county water is required instead.

Utilities: I found no explicit county law forcing a grid connection, but between the SLDC's permit requirements and RVs being treated as "camping" rather than dwellings, full-time off-grid living outside a conventional permitted home is functionally squeezed by the zoning code even without a direct "must connect" rule.

Bottom line: Santa Fe County is more regulated than the off-grid stereotype of rural New Mexico. Call the county before buying land.