Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-07
39 of Ohio's 88 counties — 44% — have no county-wide zoning. That is the 9th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Adams 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 1042 counties nationwide → Ohio: no building codes → Ohio: no codes, no zoning → Ohio: owner-builder → Ohio: no minimum home size → Full Ohio profile →
From the Ohio guide
Ohio has 39 counties without countywide zoning and 42 with county zoning.48 The highest-scoring counties without countywide zoning are Adams County, Morgan County, Perry County, Gallia County, Hocking County, Holmes County, Noble County, Vinton County4. Ohio has 13 counties with neither a residential building-permit requirement nor countywide zoning.9
Use the no-countywide-zoning list and no-building-permit and no-countywide-zoning list as starting points, rather than treating either category as permission for a particular land use.49 Ask the township zoning office and municipal planning office, as appropriate for the parcel, about RV occupancy, tiny-home placement and setbacks before buying. County-level tiny-home answers can leave township and municipal restrictions unresolved.7 Ohio’s county zoning authority applies to unincorporated territory.16
From the Ohio guide, written from the cited official sources and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: confirm with the office before you buy or build.
39 of 88 Ohio counties · sorted by Index score
Adams County has no countywide zoning office in its official department listing; land-use zoning in unincorporated areas is handled at the township level rather than by a county…
Adams County Government - County Offices ↗Property in unincorporated Morgan County that is not part of a subdivision with its own zoning plan. This conclusion does not apply to incorporated municipalities. This conclusi…
Development – Morgan County Engineer ↗There is no countywide zoning; land-use zoning in Perry County is handled at the township level under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 519, and only some townships (e.g., Jackson Towns…
Perry County - Jackson Township Zoning Resolution ↗The county explicitly states there is no zoning in the unincorporated area other than floodplain and subdivision regulations; incorporated villages/cities set their own.
Gallia County Planning Department - Site Zoning Verification ↗The county does not administer countywide residential zoning; the building authority directs owners to check with their local city, village or township for any zoning permit. Th…
Holmes County Planning Commission - Overview ↗Ohio county zoning exists only where commissioners adopt a zoning resolution under ORC Chapter 303; no countywide zoning resolution is identified for Vinton County, and land-use…
Ohio Revised Code 303.11 - County Zoning ↗The county Regional Planning FAQ states there is no countywide zoning; zoning exists only in the city of Logan and can only be enacted at the township or municipal level.
Hocking County Regional Planning - Frequently Asked Questions ↗The balance of unincorporated Noble County outside the identified Wayne Township and Buffalo Township zoning areas. Wayne Township requires a zoning permit. Buffalo Township req…
Sewage Treatment Systems – Noble County Health Department ↗Washington County has no countywide zoning resolution; the county Planning Commission administers only subdivision regulations, and zoning where it exists is adopted at the town…
Washington County - Planning Commission ↗Countywide zoning regulations adopted by Belmont County. The source states that each entity may adopt zoning and permitting regulations. For construction outside a corporation l…
Zoning & Planning ↗County zoning in unincorporated Coshocton County. This does not establish zoning rules within incorporated municipalities or independently zoned townships. Septic, private-water…
Coshocton County Homebuyer’s Guide ↗County-level zoning authority in Muskingum County. The county comprehensive plan states that the county has no zoning to designate where subdivisions may or may not be built. Th…
2020 Muskingum County Comprehensive Plan — Residential Report ↗Most unincorporated areas of Meigs County. Villages and municipalities may have their own zoning regulations. Some townships may have adopted individual zoning requirements.
meigsengineer.org ↗Guernsey County has no countywide zoning; zoning is handled at the township level under Ohio Revised Code Ch. 519, while the county only administers subdivision regulations via …
Guernsey County Map Department / Planning Commission ↗County zoning in unincorporated Highland County. The official county plan states that countywide zoning implementation had only begun as of the plan's discussion. Madison Townsh…
Highland County- Countywide All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2024-2028 ↗There is no countywide zoning; the county FAQ lists zoning only in specific jurisdictions (Airport, City of Chillicothe, certain townships/municipalities and flood zones), typic…
Ross County Building Department - FAQ ↗The county has a Regional Planning Commission that provides subdivision regulations and township maps but no countywide zoning office; zoning, where present, is administered at …
Carroll County Ohio - Agencies and Departments ↗There is no countywide zoning; zoning exists only where individual townships (e.g., Clay, Valley) have adopted their own township zoning resolutions.
Scioto County Engineer - Zoning Standards ↗There is no countywide zoning; only certain townships/villages (Archer, Cadiz, Freeport, Moorefield, North) have their own zoning.
Harrison County Zoning ↗Athens County countywide zoning regulations, including the unincorporated county area. Athens County has Subdivision Regulations that apply to property splits. Athens County has…
Regional Planner ↗Countywide zoning administered by Ashtabula County. The county page states zoning is under individual townships; township or municipal rules may apply instead. The source specif…
Zoning ↗Countywide zoning administered by Williams County as an entity. Township and municipal zoning may apply within their respective jurisdictions.
Zoning | Williams County, OH ↗County-administered zoning or land-use authority in Lawrence County. The county commissioners stated that zoning and protective measures must instead be pursued proactively at t…
Commissioners’ Meeting Minutes 1-12-26 ↗Countywide zoning administered by Ashland County Township, village, and city zoning may still apply. This claim does not determine municipal or township zoning rules.
Building and Zoning ↗Countywide zoning in Trumbull County. Zoning is handled at the local level. The county Planning Commission is advisory and does not have authority over local zoning.
Subdivision Plats & Zoning ↗A countywide zoning resolution administered by Tuscarawas County. The county letter is dated March 10, 2014; later township or municipal zoning rules may apply.
Building Permits/Zoning in Tuscarawas County, Ohio ↗Crawford County has no county-wide zoning; zoning is administered at the local level - cities, most incorporated villages, and some townships have zoning, but not all unincorpor…
Crawford County Engineer - Townships/Zoning ↗There is no countywide zoning; the county guide notes zoning is 'only required in townships and villages where zoning laws are currently enforced,' so zoning depends on the spec…
Hancock County, OH - Preparing to Build in Hancock County ↗Darke County has no county-wide zoning; zoning authority rests with individual cities, villages, and townships, and un-zoned areas fall under Township Trustees.
Darke County Services (Zoning) ↗Countywide zoning ordinance administered by Champaign County. The official county page directs zoning questions to township zoning inspectors. Local township and municipal zonin…
General Information - County Engineer, Champaign County, Ohio ↗Countywide zoning in Fairfield County. Zoning regulations are instead adopted by individual townships, cities, and villages. Eleven of the county's thirteen unincorporated towns…
Township Zoning ↗Shelby County directs zoning matters to individual Township Trustees / Zoning Enforcement Officers rather than a countywide zoning ordinance, consistent with Ohio's township-bas…
Shelby County, OH Checklist for Various Developments ↗County zoning in unincorporated Wayne County areas other than Chippewa Township. Chippewa Township is excepted and has township zoning. Municipalities may administer their own z…
Planning Department ↗County-administered zoning regulations across Putnam County, including unincorporated areas. Building zoning regulations are handled at the village or township level. Local town…
Engineer | Putnam County Ohio ↗Countywide zoning as a single Stark County ordinance. Zoning regulations are instead adopted by individual townships, cities, and villages under the Ohio Revised Code. Twelve an…
Regional Planning Commission - Zoning ↗County zoning authority in the unincorporated area of Union County. Zoning authority has been assigned to individual townships rather than administered as a countywide zoning or…
Union County Board of County Commissioners ↗The county directs residents with zoning questions to their local municipality; zoning is administered by cities and villages, not the county.
Cuyahoga County - Permits and Licenses ↗County-administered land-use zoning in Medina County, Ohio. The county's building regulations require proof of compliance with zoning regulations enforced by the applicable town…
Medina County Planning Commission Minutes, January 2, 2019 ↗Countywide zoning ordinance administered by Greene County. The county FAQ states that each township, village, and city has its own zoning; local zoning may therefore apply. This…
Greene County FAQ ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Ohio state page for all 88 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
Off-grid gear
Building on land in one of these Ohio counties? The kit we'd start with:
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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.
