Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-07-08
21 of Montana's 56 counties — 38% — have no county-wide zoning. That is the 15th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Mineral County (80/100). 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 → Montana counties with no building codes → Full Montana profile →
21 of 56 Montana counties · sorted by Index score
County-wide zoning is not in place; only the incorporated towns of Alberton and Superior have adopted zoning, while the county administers subdivision regulations rather than zo…
Mineral County Environmental Health and Planning ↗The Lincoln County Planning Department administers Subdivision, Floodplain, and Lakeshore Construction regulations and Buildings for Lease or Rent, but does not list a countywid…
Lincoln County Planning Department ↗Land Services' enumerated regulations (subdivision, floodplain, airport, buildings-for-lease/rent, road encroachment) do not include a county-wide zoning ordinance; rural Sander…
Sanders County Land Services ↗Sheridan County has a Growth Policy adopted by resolution but explicitly notes it is 'not regulatory'; no countywide zoning ordinance was found.
Sheridan County, MT - Planning ↗Fallon County has no general county-wide zoning; the Planning Department lists only limited special-area regulations (Plevna Zoning Regulation and Baker Airport Affected Area).
Fallon County MT - Planning Department ↗The county's official department directory lists no planning or zoning department, and no county-wide zoning ordinance was found on Glacier County's official site.
Glacier County - Department Directory ↗County growth-policy land-use documentation states 'Pondera County is not zoned'; only the City of Conrad has zoning, though the county and Conrad have subdivision regulations.
Pondera County Growth Policy - Land Use (Appendix B) ↗Broadwater County has subdivision regulations and a growth policy but does not have comprehensive county zoning outside incorporated areas.
Broadwater County 2020 Growth Policy ↗The county's official office list includes a planning board but no zoning department or countywide zoning code; land division is handled via subdivision review under the state S…
Judith Basin County - Departments ↗The county Planner issues letters to interested parties confirming the absence of zoning in the county.
Teton County Montana - Planner ↗The county administers subdivision regulations but no countywide zoning ordinance is referenced on its official pages.
Toole County - Environmental Health and Sanitarian ↗The County Planner page indicates the county has no zoning/permitting requirements ("Rosebud County does not currently have any zoning or permitting requirements"); no countywid…
Rosebud County - County Planner ↗The county's official site states McCone County is still 'developing Zoning Regulations,' indicating no countywide zoning has yet been adopted.
McCone County (official site) ↗Treasure County has a Planning Board and Growth Policy but no countywide zoning ordinance was found; Montana growth policies are statutorily non-regulatory.
Treasure County, MT - Planning ↗The Planning Board offers only subdivision plat and certificate-of-survey forms; no county zoning regulations were found.
Powder River County Planning Board ↗Carter County's official department listing shows no planning or zoning department, consistent with an unzoned rural ranching county.
Carter County, MT official website (Departments) ↗The county's official department listing includes no planning or zoning office, consistent with an unzoned rural Montana county.
Petroleum County Departments ↗Madison County regulates land through subdivision regulations and a 2025 Growth Policy rather than comprehensive county-wide zoning; unincorporated areas default to county subdi…
Madison County - Planning Office Publications/Regulations ↗Prairie County's Land Planning Board is advisory and handles subdivision review and growth policy only; there is no countywide zoning ordinance.
Prairie County Land Planning Board ↗The county states 'most of the County does not have zoning'; zoning consists only of two small citizen-driven zoned areas (Highland Park and Forest Park), so the unincorporated …
Dawson County Planning - Zoning ↗The county's permit guide directs zoning matters to the incorporated towns (Glasgow, Fort Peck, Nashua); there is no countywide zoning for unincorporated land, only municipal zo…
Valley County Planning - Permits (PDF) ↗One email a week: the best counties to live off-grid, rule changes that matter, and rule changes as Montana 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 Montana state page for all 56 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.