Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-08-08
21 of Tennessee's 95 counties — 22% — do not require a residential building permit in their unincorporated areas. That is the 12th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Pickett County (86/100). 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 → Tennessee: no zoning → Tennessee: no codes, no zoning → Full Tennessee profile →
21 of 95 Tennessee counties · sorted by Index score
Pickett County is listed as OPT OUT on the State Fire Marshal's residential jurisdictions list, so no residential building permit or inspection is required for one- and two-fami…
TN Dept. of Commerce & Insurance, State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗Stewart County is an opt-out / non-code jurisdiction (it hosts the state 'Statewide Building Construction Code Inspections in Opt-Out' notice), so no residential building permit…
Stewart County - Statewide Building Construction Code Inspections in Opt-Out notice ↗Bledsoe County has opted out of the statewide residential building construction code (non-code/opt-out jurisdiction), so no county residential building permit is required in uni…
TN State Fire Marshal - Opt-Out / Non-Code Jurisdictions ↗The county's official zoning page states Lewis County does not require a building permit for any type or size of structure outside city limits and has no building and codes depa…
Lewis County Government - Zoning ↗The Tennessee State Fire Marshal's residential jurisdictions list shows Humphreys County as OPT OUT of the state residential building code program, so no state residential build…
Tennessee State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗The TN State Fire Marshal residential jurisdictions list shows Lawrence County as OPT OUT of the state residential building code program; the county runs no building code of its…
Tennessee State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗The State Fire Marshal's jurisdictions list shows McNairy County as "OPT OUT" of the statewide residential building code program, and the county administers no countywide buildi…
Tennessee State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗The Tennessee State Fire Marshal's residential jurisdictions & inspectors list shows Perry County as 'OPT OUT,' meaning the county has exempted itself from the statewide residen…
Tennessee State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗The Tennessee State Fire Marshal's residential jurisdictions list shows Decatur County as OPT OUT of the state residential building program, and the county has no local building…
TN State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗The county's Permits & Zoning page states plainly that building permits are not required in Overton County outside Livingston city limits.
Overton County, TN - Permits & Zoning ↗Scott County's official site states plainly that 'Building permits are not required by Scott County'; it is a non-code (opt-out) jurisdiction for the statewide residential build…
Scott County, TN - Moving to Scott County ↗The county's own newcomer page states 'Johnson County, Tennessee, does not currently require a building permit'; only septic and electric permits are needed for new structures (…
Johnson County TN - Newcomer Information ↗The Tennessee State Fire Marshal's residential jurisdictions list shows Carroll County as OPT OUT of the State Residential Building Code Program, so no county/state residential …
TN State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗Benton County has opted out of the statewide residential building construction code (non-code/opt-out jurisdiction), so no county residential building permit is required in unin…
TN State Fire Marshal - Opt-Out / Non-Code Jurisdictions ↗Henry County's Codes Enforcement page states building permits are not required in unincorporated areas of the county, though commercial businesses must follow State of Tennessee…
Henry County - Property Subdivision and Codes Enforcement ↗Monroe County has an OPT OUT status on the State Fire Marshal's residential jurisdictions list, meaning it opted out of the state residential building code program and does not …
TN State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗The TN State Fire Marshal residential jurisdictions list shows Grainger County as OPT OUT of the state residential building code program, and the county administers no building …
Tennessee State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗Henderson County is not among the nine counties where the State Fire Marshal enforces the statewide residential code, so no state/county residential permit applies in unincorpor…
TN State Fire Marshal - Apply for a Residential Permit (county list) ↗Grundy County is listed by the TN State Fire Marshal's Office as an 'OPT OUT' jurisdiction, having exempted one- and two-family dwellings from the statewide residential building…
TN State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗The Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office residential jurisdictions list shows McMinn County as 'OPT OUT' of the state residential building program, so no state/county residenti…
TN State Fire Marshal's Office - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗The Tennessee State Fire Marshal's residential jurisdictions list shows Sequatchie County as OPT OUT of the State Residential Building Code Program, so no county/state residenti…
TN State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Tennessee state page for all 95 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.
