Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-07-01
20 of Illinois's 102 counties — 20% — have no county-wide zoning. That is the 16th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Clark County (76/100). 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 → Illinois counties with no building codes → Full Illinois profile →
20 of 102 Illinois counties · sorted by Index score
The official county departments directory lists no zoning or planning department, indicating the county does not administer countywide zoning in unincorporated areas.
Clark County, IL — Departments ↗Zoning regulations are published only for the City of Mt. Sterling (Chapter 40); no countywide zoning ordinance for unincorporated Brown County was found.
Brown County - Code of Ordinances ↗Schuyler County has no zoning/planning department and is an unzoned county; its only county land-use regulation is a standalone commercial solar-energy siting ordinance adopted …
Schuyler County IL - Commercial Solar Energy Ordinance ↗No zoning ordinance or planning/zoning department is listed among county offices; the county references a Comprehensive Plan update but no adopted county zoning was found.
Cumberland County, Illinois Official Website ↗No county zoning ordinance for unincorporated areas was found; the only zoning administration documented is the City of Newton's municipal zoning ordinance.
City of Newton / Jasper County IL - Zoning ↗The county's own offices list no planning or zoning department; only individual townships (e.g., Clay Township) have their own zoning ordinances, indicating no countywide zoning.
Clay County, Illinois - Official Website ↗No county zoning or planning department exists in Greene County's department listing, indicating no countywide zoning for unincorporated areas.
Greene County IL Government ↗No countywide zoning office or zoning ordinance is listed for Crawford County; zoning is administered by municipalities like the City of Robinson rather than the county.
Crawford County, Illinois - County Government ↗No county zoning or planning department appears in Pulaski County's official department directory; municipal zoning is handled within incorporated towns only.
Pulaski County IL official website (departments) ↗Official county letter states zoning does not currently exist in Effingham County (though incorporated areas and their 1.5-mile radius may be zoned).
Effingham County Highway Department No-Zoning Letter ↗Wayne County's official government site lists no planning or zoning department; the non-home-rule county has no county-wide zoning ordinance found (zoning is administered by mun…
Wayne County, Illinois (official) ↗No planning/zoning department is listed among Hamilton County's offices and no countywide zoning ordinance for unincorporated areas was found; land-use controls exist only withi…
Hamilton County, IL - County Departments ↗No planning or zoning department appears among the county's listed offices, consistent with this small rural non-home-rule county having no countywide zoning.
Scott County, Illinois - Official Website ↗The county has no planning or zoning department; zoning is confirmed only through the planning and zoning department of the city where a property is located, indicating no count…
Gallatin County, Illinois - Departments ↗There is no Coles County zoning pertaining to any parcel located outside the zoning jurisdictions of the municipalities (Mattoon, Charleston, Oakland, Lerna, Humboldt, Ashmore);…
Coles County - Zoning ↗No county planning or zoning department or ordinance is listed; land use in unincorporated areas is not county-zoned.
Saline County IL - Official Website ↗No county zoning or planning department exists; the Real Property Committee only 'reviews and recommends' potential land-use policy, indicating no adopted countywide zoning ordi…
Jackson County IL - Real Property Committee ↗The county maintains no zoning/planning department; zoning questions are directed to individual municipalities, indicating no county-wide zoning in unincorporated areas.
White County, IL - Departments ↗No county zoning department or zoning ordinance is administered by Morgan County; county GIS only maintains the City of Jacksonville's zoning/permitting mapping, indicating zoni…
Morgan County Departments ↗The county states plainly that the unincorporated parts of the county (not in city or village limits) have NO zoning; zoning exists only within municipalities.
Macoupin County - Licenses, Permits & Zoning Information ↗One email a week: the best counties to live off-grid, rule changes that matter, and rule changes as Illinois 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 Illinois state page for all 102 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.