Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-07-01
13 of Iowa's 99 counties — 13% — have no county-wide zoning. That is the 19th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Jefferson County (74/100). 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 → Iowa counties with no building codes → Full Iowa profile →
13 of 99 Iowa counties · sorted by Index score
The county states there are 'currently no zoning laws in Jefferson County, outside of the City of Fairfield.'
Jefferson County Iowa - Questions ↗The county directs zoning-map questions to the Assessor's Office rather than a zoning administrator and publishes no county zoning ordinance, indicating no county zoning.
Wayne County - Where Do I Go For ↗Taylor County's department directory lists no planning or zoning office, indicating no countywide zoning.
Taylor County Departments ↗The county lists no zoning or planning department and has not adopted county-wide zoning for unincorporated areas (only subdivision guidance exists); municipalities administer t…
Davis County IA - County Offices ↗The county's official ordinance page lists no zoning ordinance (only Wind and Solar ordinances), and the county has no planning or zoning department.
Ringgold County Ordinances ↗The county states plainly that Chickasaw County does not have a zoning ordinance in effect; land division is governed only by the subdivision ordinance.
Chickasaw County Land Use Office ↗No zoning administrator or planning and zoning department appears among the county's official departments.
Ida County, IA Departments ↗The county's ordinance list includes only narrow airport tall-structure zoning, not a comprehensive countywide zoning ordinance for unincorporated land.
Lucas County Iowa - County Ordinances ↗The county ordinance index and department list include no county zoning ordinance or planning/zoning department.
Union County, Iowa - Ordinances ↗The county states its Zoning Ordinance (effective July 1, 2010) was rescinded on September 27, 2013, so no county zoning permit is required for uses or building projects.
Washington County Planning & Development ↗Adair County's official ordinance index contains only airport-height zoning (near Greenfield Municipal Airport) and no general countywide zoning ordinance, indicating the county…
Adair County, IA - County Ordinances ↗The county's ordinance list includes only a Paullina Municipal Airport height/land-use overlay, with no comprehensive county-wide zoning ordinance.
O'Brien County Board of Supervisors - Ordinances ↗The county states it currently does not have zoning in unincorporated areas; residents are directed to individual municipalities for zoning.
Hamilton County, Iowa — Services Directory ↗One email a week: the best counties to live off-grid, rule changes that matter, and rule changes as Iowa 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 Iowa state page for all 99 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.