Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-07-01
3 of Colorado's 64 counties — 5% — do not require a residential building permit in their unincorporated areas. That is the 21st-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Montezuma County (73/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.
Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 736 counties nationwide → Colorado: no zoning → Colorado: no codes, no zoning → Full Colorado profile →
3 of 64 Colorado counties · sorted by Index score
Montezuma County has no building department, does not enforce building codes for residential construction, and does not issue Certificates of Occupancy; no county building permi…
Montezuma County - Building in Montezuma County ↗Dolores County has no building department; the Colorado Division of Housing lists it among jurisdictions without building departments, and county guidance cites only septic and …
Colorado Division of Housing - Jurisdictions without Building Departments ↗Baca County is one of the Colorado counties without a local building department; the state Division of Housing regulates only factory-built/manufactured structures, and the coun…
Colorado Division of Housing - Jurisdictions without Building Departments ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Colorado state page for all 64 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.
