Wyoming · off-grid water rights
Whether a new off-grid home can legally get its own water in Wyoming: the state well and water-rights rules, then the 3 counties where a specific groundwater basin adds a catch — each cited to the state water agency.
Wyoming water rules
Unlike most exempt-well states, Wyoming requires a permit for every well including domestic and stock, but the permit for a small domestic/stock well is a simple, routinely granted filing and those uses carry a preferred right (W.S. 41-3-907).
Limit: All wells require a State Engineer's Office permit before drilling; small domestic/stock wells (≤25 gpm) are a routine registration and hold statutory preferred rights
Wyoming State Engineer's Office — Ground Water ↗Permit-by-rule with no fee if conditions met (up to ~2,000 gpd avg).
Greywater Action / EPA REUSExplorer ↗All water state property, appropriated by permit; minor domestic uses.
National Agricultural Law Center ↗3 constrained counties in Wyoming
One email a week: the best counties to live off-grid, rule changes that matter, and Wyoming water-rule changes as basins close. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
See the full Wyoming county ranking, compare states on the water-rights hub, or read how water access is scored. Physical water is dimmed — never erased — where a county sits in one of these basins, household-first.
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.