Clarence, Missouri rules

The City of Clarence, Missouri adopts and enforces its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 405, for land inside city limits¹. Living in a recreational vehicle is forbidden in every Clarence zoning district². Septic permits for Clarence addresses go through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, not the city³. We could not confirm how the city issues building permits.

At a glance

Zoning: Yes, the city's own Chapter 405 ordinance¹
Zoning districts: AG, R1, R2, R3, C1 and I⁴
Septic permits: Missouri DHSS is the regulatory authority³
RV living: Forbidden in all zoning districts²
Minimum lot, R1 house: 9,600 square feet⁵
Minimum lot, AG: 1 acre with 150 feet of frontage⁶
Maximum building height: 35 feet in R1 and AG⁷⁸

Who to call

Septic permits

Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Services

Consultation for owners, buyers and sellers about onsite septic systems; the state health department is the permitting authority

573-633-2353

700 E. Main Street, Shelbyville, MO 63469

Also useful

Shelby County Commission

General county-government questions, including confirmation of current county land-use rules for land outside city limits

573-633-2181

Shelby County Courthouse, 100 E Main St, Shelbyville, MO 63469

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Clarence, Missouri have zoning?

Yes. The City of Clarence adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 405, for land inside city limits¹. The ordinance sets six districts: AG agricultural, R1 low-density residential, R2 high-density residential, R3 trailers, C1 commercial and I industrial⁴. Land annexed into Clarence starts in the AG district unless the city changes it by ordinance¹. The district map is held by the city clerk, so ask the Clarence city clerk which district a specific parcel falls in.

In R1, a lot for a one-family house must be at least 9,600 square feet⁵. R1 buildings need a 25-foot front yard, 15-foot side yards and a 25-foot rear yard⁹, and no building may exceed 35 feet⁷. In AG, the minimum lot is 1 acre with 150 feet of frontage⁶, and buildings are also capped at 35 feet⁸. Exceptions to these numbers are in section 405.090, so confirm any variation with the city⁵. We could not confirm a minimum dwelling size or a lot-coverage limit.

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

We could not confirm Clarence's building permit rules, so treat a permit as likely and ask before you buy or build. The city's code includes a building chapter and a zoning permit and inspection process that we did not get to read, and we could not verify a city office phone number or address on an official page. Call Clarence city hall and ask three questions: whether a building permit is required for a new house, shed or addition, who inspects the work, and what a zoning approval costs.

Missouri has no single statewide residential building code; fire and building codes are adopted at the local level¹⁰. That means a city such as Clarence decides for itself what it requires inside its limits, and the county's answer for unincorporated land does not carry over. If you are weighing land just outside the city, the Shelby County page covers the rules there: Shelby County.

How do septic permits work inside Clarence?

Septic permits are not issued by the City of Clarence. In Shelby County, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is the regulatory authority when a permit to construct or modify an onsite wastewater system is required³. The Shelby County Health Department's environmental specialist consults owners, buyers and sellers on these systems³. We could not confirm whether the city requires a sewer connection where city sewer is available, so ask city hall whether your lot can hook up before planning a septic field.

A state construction permit is required for residential property of less than 3 acres¹¹. Single-family residential lots may be exempt, and work should not start until a permit is issued or an exemption is confirmed¹¹. When a permit is needed, a soil morphology report from an accredited soil scientist is required³. Shelby County soils matter here: the share rated "not limited" for a conventional drain field is¹²%, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system. Application fees are temporarily suspended from August 28, 2026¹³.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Clarence?

Not in an RV. Clarence forbids living in recreational vehicles in all zoning districts inside the city, a rule added in 2024². That covers AG, R1, R2, R3, C1 and I alike, so a parcel's district does not change the answer².

Manufactured and modular homes are allowed in some districts. In R1, a modular or double-wide home is allowed only as a new placement on a permanent foundation¹⁴. In R2, one mobile home per lot is a permitted use, and the home must meet the city's conditions on age, foundation, skirting and anchoring¹⁵. In R3, one single-wide mobile home per lot is allowed¹⁶. We could not confirm how Clarence treats tiny homes or accessory dwellings, or whether temporary camping on private land is allowed, so ask the city clerk before relying on any of them.

Building a home in Clarence: the steps, in order

Ask the Clarence city clerk which zoning district the parcel is in; the district map is on file with the clerk⁴.
Check the lot against the district rules: 9,600 square feet for an R1 house lot⁵, or 1 acre in AG⁶.
Ask city hall whether a building permit and inspections apply, and whether city water and sewer can serve the lot. We could not confirm either.
If the lot will use septic, contact the Shelby County Health Department at 573-633-2353 for guidance, and get the state construction permit or confirm an exemption before work starts³¹¹.
If a driveway will meet a state highway, MoDOT requires a permit for driveways on its right of way¹⁷.
Check floodplain status before you build; development in a Missouri floodplain needs a permit from the local community¹⁸.

What stays with Shelby County, and what to check before you buy

Septic and well questions do not move to the city. The state health department regulates septic permits³, and a landowner who drills their own well or installs their own pump needs no state permit, though the Missouri well construction rules still apply¹⁹. A contractor drilling a well does need a permit²⁰.

For property taxes, Shelby County's effective rate is²¹% and the median bill is $²² a year. The nearest city of 100,000 or more is about²³ miles away. For land outside Clarence city limits, county rules and offices apply instead: see the Shelby County page or call the Shelby County Commission at 573-633-2181²⁴.

Watch-outs

We could not confirm whether Clarence requires building permits or inspections, so ask city hall before you start any construction or buy a lot for a build, since Missouri leaves building codes to local governments¹⁰.
Clarence bans living in a recreational vehicle in every zoning district, so an RV is not a workaround while you build².
Section 405.090 can modify the height, yard and lot-area numbers, so ask the city clerk whether an exception applies to your parcel⁷.
Missouri's septic application fees are temporarily suspended from August 28, 2026, and new fee standards are pending, so ask the Shelby County Health Department what applies when you apply¹³.

Sources

Written October 24, 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.

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

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Clarence, Missouri