Off-Grid Living in Josephine County, Oregon

I've been digging into Josephine County, Oregon for a while now, and it's a good example of a place where "county zoning" actually means something, unlike some rural counties that leave land use almost entirely to the state or don't zone at all outside city limits.

Zoning. Josephine County has adopted countywide rural zoning under its Rural Land Development Code (Title 19), administered by the Planning Division. You'll see districts like RR-1, RR-2.5, RR-5, Forest, Rural Commercial, and Rural Industrial, each with its own minimum parcel size and density rules tied to what the land can support for septic and groundwater. If you're eyeing raw land here, the first call should be to Planning to find out the zone and what it allows before you buy.

Dwellings, tiny homes, and RVs. The county has specific camping rules I think a lot of people miss: a temporary shelter (tent, RV, yurt, trailer) can sit on a parcel up to 120 days in a 12-month period, but only 30 days if the parcel is in a Resource zone. Buses, truck bodies, and storage bins can't be used for camping. There's also a Medical Hardship dwelling permit that lets you place a second, temporary dwelling (RV, manufactured home, or converted building) tied to a documented medical need, and it only lasts as long as the hardship does. I've seen claims from a commercial site that tiny homes meeting residential code are permitted as permanent dwellings here, but I couldn't confirm that on an official county page, so treat it as a lead, not a fact, and confirm with Building Safety.

Building permits. The Building Safety Division enforces the Oregon Structural and Residential Specialty Codes. Anything that isn't a standard prescriptive structure (think pole barns) needs an engineered design from a licensed Oregon engineer or architect. Manufactured dwelling placement requires proof of fire protection and water supply, plus a septic or sewer permit, before the county issues a placement permit.

Septic. Here's the twist: Josephine is one of the few Oregon counties where the state DEQ, not the county, directly issues septic permits, through DEQ's Medford office. The county's own On-Site Septic Program counter helps with applications and questions but isn't the permitting authority. I found nothing specific on composting toilets, so I'd call the county septic counter to ask how those are treated.

Greywater and rainwater. I didn't find county-specific ordinances for either. Both appear to fall under Oregon's statewide programs, DEQ for greywater tiers and the Water Resources Department's exemption for roof/impervious-surface rainwater collection.

Wells and water rights. Well construction and domestic-use exemptions are state matters through the Oregon Water Resources Department. The county's Planning Division just hosts a referral page pointing you to OWRD's materials.

Utilities. Living off-grid, no mains hookup, is fine here, but building permits still require proof of an approved alternative water supply and fire protection, plus a septic or sewer sign-off, before placement is authorized.