Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-07-01
14 of Alaska's 30 counties — 47% — have no county-wide zoning. That is the 18th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area (81/100). 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 959 counties nationwide → Alaska counties with no building codes → Full Alaska profile →
14 of 30 Alaska counties · sorted by Index score
No borough/area-wide zoning exists; in the unorganized borough the state legislature is the governing body and planning/zoning is not applied area-wide outside incorporated cities.
Alaska DCRA - Municipal Government Structure in Alaska ↗There is no area-wide zoning in the Bethel Census Area; under AS 38.05.037 the state land division may adopt zoning in the unorganized borough only where a municipality does not…
Alaska Statutes AS 38.05.037 (Zoning regulations in the unorganized borough) ↗There is no local zoning authority in the Unorganized Borough; under AS 38.05.037 the state Division of Mining, Land and Water holds residual zoning power but no area-wide zonin…
Alaska Statutes Sec. 38.05.037 - Zoning regulations in the unorganized borough ↗No area-wide zoning exists in the Unorganized Borough; local land-use/platting authority applies only to organized boroughs and incorporated cities (e.g., City of Dillingham Tit…
Alaska DNR - Unorganized Borough (platting authority) ↗As part of the unorganized borough with no area-wide government, there is no area-wide planning and zoning outside incorporated cities; the state legislature is the nominal gove…
Alaska DCCED - Municipal Government Structure in Alaska ↗The Borough administers only subdivision and non-residential development permits; there is no borough-wide zoning ordinance regulating residential land use.
Lake and Peninsula Borough Planning/Permits ↗As part of the Unorganized Borough with no organized borough government, there is no area-wide planning or zoning in the Kusilvak Census Area outside incorporated cities.
Alaska DCCED - Municipal Government Structure ↗The borough administers only Title 40 resource land-use permits and directs zoning inquiries to individual cities; it does not impose borough-wide residential zoning.
Aleutians East Borough Permitting ↗Census areas have no government of their own; there is no area-wide zoning in the Unorganized Borough outside incorporated cities.
Alaska DCRA Municipal Government Structure in Alaska ↗In the unorganized borough there is no local borough government exercising area-wide zoning; the state legislature is the governing body and no local zoning is administered.
Alaska DCCED - Municipal Government Structure in Alaska ↗Planning and zoning are borough functions; in the Unorganized Borough there is no area-wide government exercising zoning outside incorporated cities such as Hoonah and Angoon.
Unorganized Borough, Alaska (governance summary) ↗The borough has no area-wide zoning; zoning exists only in opt-in Local Option Zoning Districts (KPB 21.44) covering a small set of named subdivisions.
Kenai Peninsula Borough Planning – Building/Construction Permit Information (rev. Mar 2025) ↗The Unorganized Borough has no elected borough assembly and provides no borough-level planning and zoning; zoning exists only inside incorporated cities.
Alaska DCCED - Municipal Government Structure in Alaska ↗There is no area-wide zoning in the unorganized borough; planning/zoning powers rest with the state, which adopts zoning only where needed under AS 38.05.037, so unincorporated …
Alaska DCCED - Municipal Government Structure in Alaska ↗One email a week: the best counties to live off-grid, rule changes that matter, and rule changes as Alaska counties adopt or drop codes. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Alaska state page for all 30 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.