Off-Grid Living in Hot Springs County, Wyoming

I've been digging into Hot Springs County, Wyoming for this brief, and the short version is: it's one of the more permissive counties I've researched, but "permissive" doesn't mean "no rules." There's real permitting here, it's just organized differently than a typical zoning code.

Zoning. Hot Springs County doesn't run classic Euclidean zoning. Instead it has a Land Use Plan that functions as its comprehensive plan and permitting system. If you change how a parcel is used, say from agricultural to residential, you need a Land Use Change Permit from the county. Outside the Town of Thermopolis, commercial-use restrictions are light. I'll flag that Thermopolis itself, as the only incorporated town in the county, may have its own separate zoning and building code that I haven't confirmed here.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The county doesn't enforce a general building code. A secondary (non-official) source claims tiny homes are allowed with only land-use-change and septic permits triggering review, but I can't verify that at the ordinance level, so treat it as unconfirmed and call the Planning Office directly before you buy or place a structure.

Building permits. There's no evidence of a general residential building-permit system for unincorporated county land. The Planning Office is your first call for any new construction, since it determines which county and state rules actually apply to your project.

Septic. This is where the county gets specific. Hot Springs County requires a Permit to Construct for septic systems, reviewed jointly with the Wyoming DEQ Water Quality Division. The county has adopted the state's Environmental Quality Act standards as its minimum, with the stricter of county or state rule applying in a conflict. Minimum tank size is set locally, and permits transfer automatically to a new owner. Composting toilets aren't addressed specifically at the county level as far as I found.

Greywater and rainwater. I found no county-specific ordinance on either. That means you're most likely operating under Wyoming's general DEQ framework, but I couldn't confirm any additional county layer, so ask the Planning Office to be sure nothing local applies.

Wells. This one's state-controlled, not a county matter. Wyoming's State Engineer's Office requires a permit before you drill any well, including domestic and stock wells, a rule that's applied statewide since 1969. Hot Springs County doesn't appear to add its own well ordinance on top of that.

Utility disconnection. I didn't find any county mandate requiring hookup to electric, gas, or municipal water/sewer in unincorporated areas. Again, Thermopolis proper could differ, and that's unconfirmed.

Bottom line: state rules (wells, DEQ wastewater baseline) sit underneath a county layer that's mostly about land-use classification and septic, not a full building code. Confirm specifics with the county before committing money.