Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-10
11 of Illinois's 102 counties — 11% — allow tiny homes as a dwelling. That is the 9th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Schuyler County (83/100). 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 547 counties nationwide → Illinois: no building codes → Illinois: no zoning → Illinois: no codes, no zoning → Illinois: owner-builder → Illinois: rv living → 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.
11 of 102 Illinois counties · sorted by Index score
Unincorporated Schuyler County: no county rule sets this, because Schuyler County's own reviewed answer confirms it has no county-wide zoning ordinance. Septic, floodplain, subd…
Schuyler County Highway 20-Year Plan 2021 ↗County land-use zoning restrictions on tiny-home occupancy in unincorporated Richland County. This conclusion is limited to the absence of county zoning; building, septic, flood…
Status of Zoning in Unincorporated Portions of Richland County, Illinois ↗Unincorporated Gallatin County: no county rule sets this, because Gallatin County's own reviewed answer confirms it has no county-wide zoning ordinance. Septic, floodplain, subd…
Gallatin County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan ↗Tiny-home occupancy in unincorporated Effingham County, as regulated by county zoning. This conclusion is limited to the absence of county zoning; zoning may exist in incorporat…
Effingham County Highway Department — No Zoning ↗County zoning restrictions on tiny-home occupancy in unincorporated Hancock County. This conclusion is limited to the absence of Hancock County zoning; incorporated municipaliti…
Minutes of a Finance, Fees, and Salary Meeting of the County of Hancock, State of Illinois, April 9, 2026 ↗Unincorporated White County: no county rule sets this, because White County's own reviewed answer confirms it has no county-wide zoning ordinance. Septic, floodplain, subdivisio…
County Clerk | White County, IL ↗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 tiny-home occupancy in unincorporated Macoupin County. The source establishes only that the county has no zoning in unincorporated areas; it …
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 ↗County land-use zoning restrictions on tiny-home occupancy in rural and unincorporated areas. This conclusion concerns county zoning only; building, health, septic, subdivision,…
montgomerycountyil.gov ↗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.
