Bolthole Index

Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-07

Wyoming Counties With No Building Codes

9 of Wyoming's 23 counties — 39% — do not require a residential building permit in their unincorporated areas. That is the 15th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Crook County (72/100). 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 627 counties nationwide → Wyoming: no zoning → Wyoming: no codes, no zoning → Wyoming: owner-builder → Wyoming: rv living → Wyoming: tiny homes → Wyoming: no minimum home size → Full Wyoming profile →

From the Wyoming guide

Which Wyoming counties don't require a building permit?

Wyoming has 9 counties without a residential building-permit requirement, 5 with a limited requirement and 9 that require one.127 These counts concern unincorporated land; county zoning authority does not replace an incorporated city's or town's zoning authority.13

Counties without the residential building-permit requirement include Crook County, Fremont County, Johnson County, Hot Springs County, Weston County, Converse County, Washakie County, Niobrara County.1 Use the no-building-codes county list to compare locations, while keeping building permits and code enforcement separate.1 Wyoming has adopted the 2024 International Building Code, but state fire-marshal plan review covers specified building categories rather than establishing a universal county residential permit requirement.14 Owner-building does not automatically waive building permits: Wyoming leaves general-contractor licensing to local jurisdictions, with electrical licensing treated separately.11

Read the full Wyoming guide →

Sources

  1. Bolthole Index county rulebook, 23 Wyoming counties, as of October 7, 2026: Wyoming counties that do not require a residential building permit in unincorporated areas
  2. Bolthole Index county rulebook, 23 Wyoming counties, as of October 7, 2026: Wyoming counties that require a residential building permit only in some cases (for example floodplain or certain structures)
  3. Bolthole Index county rulebook, 23 Wyoming counties, as of October 7, 2026: Wyoming counties that require a residential building permit in unincorporated areas
  4. Wyoming: wyomingbusiness.org, quoted and re-checked
  5. Wyoming: Wyoming Statutes, Title 18, W.S. 18-5-201, quoted and re-checked
  6. Wyoming: Plan Review, quoted and re-checked

From the Wyoming guide, written from the cited official sources and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: confirm with the office before you buy or build.

9 of 23 Wyoming counties · sorted by Index score

Keep exploring

Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Wyoming state page for all 23 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.

Off-grid gear

Building on land in one of these Wyoming counties? The kit we'd start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

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.