Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-10
9 of Illinois's 102 counties — 9% — allow living in an RV on private land. That is the 10th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Richland 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 456 counties nationwide → Illinois: no building codes → Illinois: no zoning → Illinois: no codes, no zoning → Illinois: owner-builder → Illinois: tiny homes → Illinois: no minimum home size → Full Illinois profile →
From the Illinois guide
Illinois RV occupancy has an answer in 36 counties: 9 allowed, 5 temporary-only, 16 limited and 6 prohibited; the other 66 are unconfirmed.4 The first counties with an allowed county-zoning answer are Richland County, Effingham County, Hancock County; these answers concern county zoning and do not waive sanitation or other applicable requirements.4 Browse the Illinois RV-living county list for those county-specific conditions.4
Illinois tiny-home occupancy has an answer in 23 counties: 11 allowed and 12 limited, with 79 unconfirmed.5 The first allowed entries are Schuyler County, Richland County, Effingham County, with the stated allowances limited to county land-use zoning.5 Use the Illinois tiny-home county list and ask the parcel's local building and zoning office about the proposed unit and occupancy.5 Illinois's campground law addresses overnight camping in regulated campgrounds; that scope does not establish permission to reside in an RV on a private residential parcel.21
From the Illinois 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.
9 of 102 Illinois counties · sorted by Index score
RV occupancy as a county zoning matter in unincorporated Richland County. The county has no zoning ordinance for unincorporated portions, but other county ordinances and state h…
Status of Zoning in Unincorporated Portions of Richland County, Illinois ↗RV occupancy on private land in unincorporated Effingham County, as regulated by county zoning. This conclusion is limited to the absence of county zoning; zoning may exist in i…
Effingham County Highway Department — No Zoning ↗County zoning restrictions on recreational-vehicle occupancy in unincorporated Hancock County. This conclusion is limited to the absence of Hancock County zoning; incorporated m…
Minutes of a Finance, Fees, and Salary Meeting of the County of Hancock, State of Illinois, April 9, 2026 ↗Unincorporated Cumberland County: no county rule sets this, because Cumberland County's own reviewed answer confirms it has no county-wide zoning ordinance. Septic, floodplain, …
Cumberland County Comprehensive Plan Draft ↗Unincorporated Edwards County: no county rule sets this, because Edwards County's own reviewed answer confirms it has no county-wide zoning ordinance. Septic, floodplain, subdiv…
Edwards County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan ↗County land-use zoning treatment of RV occupancy in unincorporated Macoupin County. The source establishes only that the county has no zoning in unincorporated areas; it does no…
Licenses, Permits & Zoning Information ↗Unincorporated Coles County: no county rule sets this, because Coles County's own reviewed answer confirms it has no county-wide zoning ordinance. Septic, floodplain, subdivisio…
Coles County Zoning ↗Unincorporated Montgomery County: no county rule sets this, because Montgomery County's own reviewed answer confirms it has no county-wide zoning ordinance. Septic, floodplain, …
County Coordinator – Montgomery County, Illinois ↗A recreational camp using pads or electric and water hookups for recreational vehicles or tents in the unincorporated A-1 Agricultural District. A recreational camp is listed as…
Chapter 53 – Zoning ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Illinois state page for all 102 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
Off-grid gear
Building on land in one of these Illinois 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.
