Johnson County, Wyoming has no zoning districts and does not issue a residential building permit; the state's own 2023 survey of county governments reports no building permit and no zoning regulations for Johnson County12. What the county's Planning Department does administer is septic permitting, subdivision review, floodplain development and rural addressing, under authority the state delegated to the county for small wastewater systems3. Wyoming has no statewide building code for ordinary homes, so there's no separate state permit filling that gap either4.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Not issued by Johnson County; the state's 2023 county survey lists no county building permit and no zoning districts1
- Zoning
- No zoning districts countywide, per the state's official county survey25
- Septic
- County-permitted through the Johnson County Planning Department, under authority delegated by Wyoming DEQ36
- Owner-builder
- No framework applies, since the county issues no residential building permit to be exempt from7
- Minimum lot size / dwelling size / setbacks
- None set by county zoning, since Johnson County has no zoning districts89
- Wells
- State groundwater permit (U.W. 5) required before drilling; $50 filing fee for domestic or stock use10
- Subdivision
- Land divisions of 35 acres or more per parcel are generally exempt from Wyoming's subdivision permit, but still need a 40-foot recorded access easement to a public road11
- Agricultural building fire-safety exemption
- Farms or ranches of 40+ deeded acres are exempt from the state's fire-prevention and electrical-safety provisions12
Who to call
Zoning
Johnson County Planning Department
Septic system permitting (as county sanitarian), subdivision review, floodplain development, rural addressing, and planning and zoning documents for Johnson County; the county has no building-permit program
26 N Desmet Avenue, Suite A, Buffalo, WY 82834
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 23, 2026.
Do you need a building permit in Johnson County, Wyoming?
No county building permit is issued here. Wyoming's own 2023 survey of county governments reports that Johnson County requires no building permit and has no zoning districts, and the county Planning Department's published role covers subdivision review, rural addressing, septic permitting, and floodplain development, not residential building permits1. Wyoming also has no statewide building code that would otherwise fill that gap for an ordinary home: the state's fire-prevention and electrical-safety code applies mainly to public and commercial buildings, such as public buildings over 5,000 square feet, child-care centers serving more than 10 children, and similar occupancies, not single-family homes13. A farm or ranch of 40 or more deeded acres is separately exempt from that state fire-code jurisdiction entirely12. No official source located for this guide addresses whether Johnson County has an unwritten inspection or certificate-of-occupancy practice outside that state framework, so if you're building something larger than an ordinary house, confirm scope with the Planning Department before you assume no review applies.
Who handles septic and planning matters in Johnson County, and how do you reach them?
There is no building department to call, since Johnson County doesn't run a residential building-permit program1. The office that matters for most rural land purchases here is the Johnson County Planning Department, which administers septic permits, subdivision review, floodplain development, and rural addressing14. Reach the Planning Department at 307-684-1907, at 26 N Desmet Avenue, Suite A, Buffalo, WY 8283414. If you're drilling a well, that's a separate state process through the Wyoming State Engineer's Office, not the county10.
Does Johnson County have zoning?
No. The Wyoming County Commissioners Association's official 2023 survey lists Johnson County with no zoning regulations and no zoning districts2. Because there's no county zoning ordinance, the county sets no minimum dwelling size, no minimum lot size, no setback distances, no lot-coverage limit, and no building-height limit in unincorporated areas5891516. Wyoming law does give county commissioners general authority to adopt zoning for unincorporated areas if they choose to, through a board resolution that can't override an incorporated city or town's own zoning17. Subdivision is regulated separately from zoning, though: Wyoming's Real Estate Subdivisions Act generally exempts parcels of 35 acres or larger from the state subdivision permit, but even exempt large parcels must carry a recorded ingress/egress/utility easement of at least 40 feet wide to a public road11. Land divided for agricultural purposes gets its own separate exemption from the subdivision permit as well, subject to the county documenting the agricultural use18.
How do septic permits work in Johnson County?
Every new small wastewater treatment facility, privy, outhouse, holding tank, or septic replacement or modification in Johnson County needs a permit from the county Planning Department, under authority the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality delegated to the county619. Johnson County requires a registered, licensed engineer to design every septic system, and applications must include the fee set by county Resolution #673 or they'll be returned as incomplete20. Soils here are a real constraint: only 17% of Johnson County's land is free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so budget for a site evaluation and likely a non-conventional system21. If your system is non-conventional, you must contact the county first to discuss application and permit requirements, since some subdivisions specifically require non-conventional treatment22. Once installed, an inspection must be arranged at least 24 hours before backfilling, and a certificate of completion is only needed if that inspection didn't happen23. Wells are handled separately by the state: before drilling a well or developing a spring flowing 25 gallons per minute or less for domestic or stock use, you need an approved U.W. 5 groundwater permit, with a $50 filing fee, drilled only by a Wyoming-licensed well driller10.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Johnson County?
No official Johnson County or Wyoming source reviewed for this guide addresses RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy, or manufactured-home placement on private rural land; the absence of county zoning means there's no zoning ordinance restricting it, but it also means no official source confirms it's allowed outright, so ask the Planning Department directly before you count on it2. This is a real gap worth closing before you buy: unlike some counties, Johnson County's own planning materials don't even have draft zoning regulations addressing these uses. Confirm current county practice with the Planning Department at 307-684-1907 before assuming any specific arrangement is fine14.
Building a home in Johnson County: the steps, in order
First, confirm your specific project's scope with the Planning Department, since there is no county building permit for an ordinary home but larger or commercial projects may trigger state fire-marshal plan review1413. Second, if you're dividing land, check whether your parcels are 35 acres or larger, which are generally exempt from Wyoming's subdivision permit but still require a recorded 40-foot access easement to a public road11. Third, get a soil evaluation and hire a registered licensed engineer to design your septic system, since only 17% of the county's soils are free of severe limitations for a standard drain field2119. Fourth, submit your septic application and the Resolution #673 fee to the Planning Department before installation1420. Fifth, if you need a well, apply for your U.W. 5 groundwater permit from the State Engineer's Office and use a Wyoming-licensed driller10. Sixth, arrange your septic inspection at least 24 hours before backfilling23. Finally, build: there is no countywide building-permit review or inspection to schedule for an ordinary single-family home here1.
What to check before you buy land in Johnson County
Water is the headline concern: Johnson County averages just 15.2 inches of precipitation a year, with severe drought in 20.2% of years, so a reliable well and water rights matter as much as anything else you'll evaluate2425. Soils compound that: only 17% of the county's land is free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so plan on a site evaluation and an engineered system on most parcels21. Terrain is mixed, with about 49% of the county at 15% slope or less, and a substantial 31.2% of the county is federal land, worth checking against any parcel boundary before you buy2627. If you're buying a large tract, confirm whether it was properly divided under Wyoming's 35-acre subdivision exemption and whether a compliant 40-foot recorded access easement exists to a public road11. Typical carrying costs are modest: an effective property tax rate near 0.6%, a median annual bill around $1,634, against a considerably higher typical home value around $422,644282930.
Watch-outs
- No official source confirms rules for RV living, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy, or manufactured-home placement on private land in Johnson County; ask the Planning Department directly rather than assuming the absence of zoning means anything goes14.
- The absence of a county building permit does not mean every project is unregulated: larger public, commercial, or specified-occupancy buildings can still fall under Wyoming's state fire-marshal plan-review jurisdiction13.
Sources
- Wyoming County Commissioners Association — County Zoning, Licensing and Permitting Survey (2023) (2026 county census)
- Wyoming County Commissioners Association — County Zoning, Licensing and Permitting Survey (2023) (2026 county census)
- Septic System Permitting (2026 county census)
- Wyoming Administrative Rules—Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety, quoted and re-checked
- County Zoning, Licensing and Permitting, quoted and re-checked
- Septic System Permitting, quoted and re-checked
- (2026 county census)
- County Zoning, Licensing and Permitting, quoted and re-checked
- County Zoning, Licensing and Permitting, quoted and re-checked
- General Processes, quoted and re-checked
- Wyoming Statutes, Title 18 (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Article 1 - Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety, quoted and re-checked
- Wyoming Statutes, Title 35, Chapter 9, Article 1, quoted and re-checked
- Johnson County Planning Department (johnsoncowy.gov)
- County Zoning, Licensing and Permitting, quoted and re-checked
- County Zoning, Licensing and Permitting, quoted and re-checked
- Wyoming Statutes, Title 18, W.S. 18-5-201 (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Wyoming Statutes, Title 18 (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Septic System Permitting, quoted and re-checked
- Septic System Permitting, quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- Septic System Permitting, quoted and re-checked
- Septic System Permitting, quoted and re-checked
- Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
- Share of years in severe drought: Bolthole Index county data
- Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
- Federal land share: Bolthole Index county data
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
- Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
- Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
Written September 23, 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.