Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-08-08
9 of Maine's 16 counties — 56% — have no county-wide zoning. That is the 23rd-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Knox County (95/100). 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 969 counties nationwide → Full Maine profile →
9 of 16 Maine counties · sorted by Index score
Maine has no county-level zoning; land use is regulated by individual municipalities, and Knox County lists no planning/zoning department among its offices.
Knox County, Maine - County Departments ↗Maine has no county zoning; land use is regulated by individual municipalities (and by the state Land Use Planning Commission in the county's unorganized territory), not by Oxfo…
Maine DECD - Code Enforcement & Building Codes ↗Maine counties have no zoning authority; land use/zoning is handled at the municipal level (the Hancock County Planning Commission provides only advisory regional planning, not …
Hancock County Planning Commission - Land Use ↗Maine county government has no land-use/zoning authority; zoning is done by organized municipalities, and in Penobscot County's unorganized territory it is the state Land Use Pl…
Maine DACF - About the Land Use Planning Commission ↗There is no countywide zoning in Lincoln County. Maine law establishes zoning ordinances through municipal legislative bodies, so land-use rules vary by town; the Lincoln County…
Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A §4352 - Zoning Ordinances ↗Counties do not zone in Maine; land-use zoning is enacted by individual municipalities, so Kennebec County itself has no county zoning ordinance.
Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A (municipal land use enforcement) ↗Maine has no county zoning; land-use regulation and code enforcement are handled at the municipal level, so there is no Sagadahoc County zoning authority.
Maine Office of Community Affairs - Code Enforcement ↗Maine has no county-level zoning; land use, setbacks and shoreland zoning are administered by individual municipalities, not Androscoggin County.
Maine Office of State Fire Marshal - Building Codes ↗Maine has no county-level zoning; land-use and zoning are administered by each municipality (Title 30-A ch. 187) via its Code Enforcement Officer.
MRS Title 30-A Ch. 187 Planning and Land Use Regulation ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Maine state page for all 16 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.
