Bolthole Index

Carbon County, Wyoming

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hanna, Wyoming

The Town of Hanna, Wyoming (Carbon County) adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance for land inside town limits1. Septic permits for Carbon County come from Wyoming DEQ rather than the town2. Carbon County's building permit office serves unincorporated land only3; we could not confirm how building permits work inside Hanna, so call Town Hall before you buy.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes: the Town of Hanna Zoning Ordinance, with a zoning map14
Building permit
Not confirmed inside town limits; ask Town Hall. Carbon County's permit covers unincorporated land only3
Building height
35 feet maximum5
RV living
Temporary only: up to two weeks per visit for a nonresident, with the owner's permission6
Septic
Wyoming DEQ is the permitting authority in Carbon County2
Private wells
State Engineer permit (Form U.W. 5) before drilling7

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Hanna Town Hall

General contact for the town; the place to ask which office handles building permits and zoning questions inside Hanna

(307) 325-9424

301 S Adams Street, P.O. Box 99, Hanna, WY 82327

Septic permits

Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division

Permits to construct small wastewater facilities in Carbon County

Planning & zoning

Carbon County Planning & Development

Building permits and zoning for unincorporated Carbon County, outside Hanna

307-328-2651

215 West Buffalo Street, Suite 317, Rawlins, WY 82301

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 15, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Hanna means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Hanna, Wyoming have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and building height?

Yes. The Town of Hanna adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance for land inside town limits1. The ordinance is published as a text and a zoning map, and the district that applies to a particular parcel depends on the official zoning map4.

Buildings in Hanna are limited to a maximum height of 35 feet, subject to the zoning ordinance5.

Living in an RV on a lot in Hanna is temporary only. A nonresident may live and sleep in an RV for no more than two weeks per visit while visiting family or friends or taking part in a locally sponsored event, the owner must expressly permit the placement, and the trailer must be self-contained or sanitary facilities must be provided6. We could not confirm the town's minimum lot size, setbacks, tiny-home or accessory-dwelling rules, so ask Town Hall8 and check the zoning map for your parcel.

Do you need a building permit in Hanna, and who issues it?

We could not confirm which general building code or permit process applies inside Hanna town limits, or how inspections work. Call Town Hall at (307) 325-9424 before you design or buy8.

Carbon County's building permit and zoning certificate apply to construction in unincorporated areas, not to land inside Hanna3. The county's Planning and Development office in Rawlins handles those permits for rural land outside town9. Wyoming also lets towns and counties apply to the state fire marshal for delegated authority to enforce building standards, which is why the answer differs from one jurisdiction to the next10.

How do septic permits work in Hanna?

Wyoming DEQ, not the town, is the permitting authority for small wastewater facilities in Carbon County2. Those are individual or commercial systems treating less than 2,000 gallons of domestic sewage per day, and construction may not start until DEQ authorizes it11. Applications go to the District Engineer for the county and to DEQ electronically12.

We could not confirm whether a particular Hanna lot can connect to town sewer or what the town requires for new connections, so ask Town Hall8 before assuming you need a septic system. Countywide, only about 29% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so many lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system13.

Building a home in Hanna: the steps, in order

  1. Pull the zoning map and confirm your parcel's district with the town4.
  2. Ask Town Hall which office issues building permits and inspections inside Hanna8.
  3. Check the 35-foot height limit against your plans5.
  4. Confirm whether town sewer and water reach the lot; if not, apply to Wyoming DEQ for a septic permit before construction14.
  5. If you need a private well, submit the U.W. 5 application to the State Engineer's Ground Water Division and wait for approval before drilling7.
  6. Plan an RV stay as a short visit only; the town allows up to two weeks per visit for nonresidents6.

What stays with Carbon County, and what should you check before buying in Hanna?

Land outside Hanna's limits falls under Carbon County, which requires a building permit and zoning certificate for new structures in unincorporated areas3. See the Carbon County page for the county's rules on rural land.

Wells come from the state: Wyoming requires a permit before drilling a domestic or stock well7. Carbon County's farmland averages $971 per acre and the typical home value is $216,2321516. The county's effective property tax rate is 0.6%17.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the building code, permit process or inspections inside Hanna town limits; ask Town Hall at (307) 325-94248.
  • A Carbon County building permit does not apply inside Hanna, and the town's zoning does not apply outside it31.
  • RV stays on a Hanna lot are limited to two weeks per visit for nonresidents, not year-round living6.
  • We could not confirm minimum lot size or setbacks in Hanna; the answer depends on your parcel's district on the zoning map4.

Sources

  1. Town of Hanna Zoning Ordinance, §153.001 (Town of Hanna), quoted and re-checked
  2. Small Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  3. Planning and Development | Carbon County, WY, quoted and re-checked
  4. Town of Hanna Zoning Ordinance, §153.001 (Town of Hanna), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 153, §153.122 Maximum Building Height (Town of Hanna), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 153, §153.216 Placement and Occupancy of RV/Campground (Town of Hanna), quoted and re-checked
  7. seo.wyo.gov (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Town of Hanna Town Hall (townofhanna.com)
  9. Carbon County Planning & Development (carboncountywy.gov)
  10. Wyoming Statutes, Title 35, W.S. 35-9-121 (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Small Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  12. Small Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  13. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  14. Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division (deq.wyoming.gov)
  15. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
  16. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  17. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 15, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Hanna

Town of Hanna’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Hanna town limits; Hanna adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance.

    “This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Town of Hanna Zoning Ordinance,””
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Hanna town limits; the code publishes a zoning chapter and zoning map as the Town of Hanna Zoning Ordinance.

    • The applicable district for a particular parcel depends on the official zoning map.
    “which is comprised of two parts, the text and zoning map.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings inside Hanna town limits, subject to the Town of Hanna zoning ordinance.

    maximum building height: 35 feet

    “The maximum building height shall be 35 feet.”
  • Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

    Occupancy of an RV or trailer on land inside Hanna town limits outside an RV/campground.

    • The owner must expressly permit placement.
    • A nonresident may live and sleep in the RV for no more than two weeks per visit while visiting family or friends or attending or participating in a locally sponsored meeting, event, or activity.
    • The trailer must be self-contained or required sanitary facilities must be provided.
    • Government and quasi-public entities may establish temporary trailer areas for no more than two weeks upon Town Council application while sponsoring a meeting, event, or activity.

    maximum temporary occupancy: <= 2 weeks per visit (Nonresident visiting family or friends or attending or participating in a locally sponsored meeting, event, or activity)

    “for a period not to exceed two weeks while visiting family or friends per visit, or while attending or participating in a locally sponsored meeting”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Hanna or Carbon County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders performing construction inside Hanna town limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside Hanna town limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Hanna town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Hanna town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Hanna town limits, including residential districts.
19 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Hanna publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Carbon County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Carbon County: county rules, score and offices