With its sizeable Amish population, it should be no surprise that Ohio is a good place to live off-grid. However, there are still a few arcane laws that can make it a major hassle or expensive to disconnect from the grid entirely.
Here’s what you need to know about the off-grid laws in Ohio.
Table Of Contents
Related:
- Off Grid Laws By State
- Checklist: Steps for Going Off-Grid
- Which States Are Best for Homesteading?
- Amish Store Locator
Is Living Off-Grid Legal in Ohio?
While off-grid living is technically legal in Ohio, it has gotten a lot harder to do it legally in recent years.
The state is especially strict about off-grid bathrooms. You’ll be required to connect to the public sewage system if one is nearby, and outhouses are almost always forbidden.
However, other aspects of off-grid life in Ohio are much more permissive, especially regarding farming and water rights.
Ohio Zoning Laws and Off-Grid Living
There is still some land in Ohio with no zoning, such as parts of Clinton County. However, most land in the state is zoned. The local zoning laws will largely determine how difficult it will be to go off-grid. Luckily, Ohio zoning laws tend to be much more relaxed than in other states. The state laws are particularly favorable to farming.
Ideally, You should look for land zoned for agricultural use or as rural residential. However, even land zoned as residential is still pretty permissive in regard to off-grid living.
Important Ohio Zoning Codes:
- UZ: Unzoned
- A1: Domestic agricultural district
- A2: General agricultural district
- RR: Rural Residential
- R-1 One family residential district (Also R-1A, R-1AA, R-1AAA, R-1B, R-1C)
Ohio Zoning and the Right to Farming
Ohio is one of the best states regarding the right to farm. The state law specifically prevents zoning laws from prohibiting agricultural use.
Because of this statewide law, you are even allowed to have farm animals in cities (see Cleveland’s rules here).
Of course, there are some exceptions!
In some areas, you are completely forbidden to have large animals like cows on small properties, and there are restrictions on how many animals you can keep based on property size. However, so long as you keep things clean and slaughter animals in your own garage instead of outdoors, you’ll be able to have your backyard chickens or some other farm animals regardless of where you live in Ohio.
You can read more about Ohio’s agricultural zoning laws here and here.
Qualifying As a Farm in Ohio
When you qualify as a farm in Ohio, your land will be taxed at its Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV), which can significantly lower property taxes.
To qualify, you must apply to the local county auditor. Most agricultural uses will qualify you, but only if you make an average of $2,500 per year from your farm. Read more here.
As of writing, you need to reapply for CAUV every year. However, a new law aims to change this and make it easier for farmers to get CAUV status. Read more about that here.
Also Read: Why You Need a Homestead Declaration
Off-Grid Electricity in Ohio
It is legal to disconnect from the electric utilities in Ohio and go off-grid. However, if you live in an urban area, carefully check the building codes. Local laws may require a certain amount of lighting in homes.
Solar Incentives
Ohio offers some solar power installation incentives, but these only apply to grid-tied systems. There are also net metering policies in place for grid-tied systems. However, other incentives are available for residents who reduce their energy consumption. See incentives here.
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Off-Grid Water
Since 1984, Ohio has used the “reasonable use” law regarding water rights.
Under the law, you own the water on your property – including the water underneath it. You can use the water without having to pay any costs. You can use the water however you want so long as it doesn’t impair anyone else’s rights. Read more here.
Surface Water
Ohio uses “riparian rights” in regard to surface water, such as streams and lakes. That means you legally own and can use any water on your property. No laws restrict how you can use the water on your property, so you can make a dam, hold tanks, or use it as you wish.
Here’s where things get murky. Under the law, you are only allowed “reasonable use” of the water and must keep its “natural flow.” You also must not infringe upon the “rights of others.” So, you could not create a dam if it deprived your downstream neighbors of water. Likewise, you couldn’t make a dam that damaged the property of upstream neighbors.
Because the law is so murky, these cases are generally decided in court. Your neighbors could sue you if you don’t use the water carefully. Likewise, get ready to battle any neighbors in court if their dams or water usage damages your property. Read more about Ohio surface water use laws here.
Well Water
The Department of Health regulates wells in Ohio. You’ll need to get a permit, which is generally easy to get. You can read Ohio’s private well laws here.
Rainwater
Rainwater harvesting in Ohio is legal, even for drinking (potable) water. Generally, no permits are required for small rain barrels. You’ll need to check with local regulations if you want to install a more extensive system or underground storage tanks. You will also likely need a permit if you use the rainwater for potable water.
As of writing, Franklin County offers these incentives for rainwater harvesting. Let us know in the comments if you know of other Ohio incentives!
Also Read:
Sewage and Waste Removal
Until 2015, when the new “Sewage Treatment System Rules” came into effect, Ohio had some of the country’s oldest and most outdated sewage rules. Not many alternative sewage systems were allowed. The approved systems often weren’t adequate based on soil type.
As a result, Ohio had (and still has) a terrible sewage problem. There are many illegal sewage systems in the state, and thousands of septic tanks are failing. It’s not uncommon for raw sewage to make its way into streams and rivers, creating a disgusting stink.
The new Ohio rules allow for some alternative off-grid sewage treatment systems. However, they also mean more inspections, permitting, and general hassle. Be particularly cautious if you are buying an existing property, as it’s likely the current sewage system isn’t up to code. You may be forced to pay a considerable amount to legalize it.
Read Ohio’s sewage and graywater laws here. I’ll summarize parts of the law below and other laws related to waste removal.
Required to Connect to Public Sewage System
Under Ohio Code 6117.51, homeowners must connect to the public sewage system if they are within 200 feet of their foundation. This requirement stands even if you have an approved sewage system, such as a septic tank.
In recent years, counties have started enforcing this law. For example, many homeowners with septic tanks in the Columbus area were required to hook up to the city sewer system. It can be costly.
Compost and Incinerating Toilets
Composting and incinerating toilets are legal in Ohio. However, you typically aren’t allowed to only use them as your sewage system; you’ll still need to install a septic tank or connect to the public sewer. By having one of these waterless toilets, you can reduce the size of your septic system.
Under the law, you are required to:
- Get a permit
- Use a sewage treatment system for disposing of all other waste (such as from sinks, dishwashers, clothes washing, bathing, and showering).
- Must be certified to ANSI/NSF Standard 41
- Liquid and solid materials removed from a composting toilet shall be disposed of as septage in accordance with rule 3701-29-20 of the Administrative Code
- Dry incinerated waste from an incinerating toilet shall be disposed of at a solid waste landfill permitted by Ohio EPA.
The law is worded in a way that might allow for some workarounds, such as using an approved graywater system for other waste and an approved sewage hauler to remove stored urine and solids. You’d have to take it up with the local officials, who might insist you install septic anyway.
Outhouses/Latrines
In almost all cases, outhouses are not legal in Ohio. The law states explicitly that outhouses are only permitted if:
- All plumbing or drain connections to the privy are prohibited;
- (2) The privy shall comply with the requirements of paragraph (A) of rule 3701-29-12, which states that privy vaults shall be manufactured to be watertight and structurally sound in accordance with division (A)(17) of section 3718.02 of the Revised Code.
You’ll still need permission from the local authorities to use an outhouse. Even if the outhouse is allowed, they may require you to hook up to the public sewer line (if one is within 200 feet of your home) or install a septic tank.
Graywater Recycling
Under Ohio law, greywater is “wastewater discharged from lavatories, bathtubs, showers, clothes washers, and laundry sinks that do not contain food wastes or urine or fecal matter.”
Recycling graywater for some purposes, such as irrigating plants, is legal. However, you will need to get approval for the system. This involves having your soil inspected. You’ll still need to connect to the public sewer or install septic in almost all cases.
Garbage Removal
Usually, if garbage collection services are offered in your area, you must pay for them – regardless of whether you want to use them. However, many places in Ohio (including Cleveland) have more relaxed laws that might allow you to go off-grid in this sense.
You must apply for an exemption from the waste removal fee. You may need proof that you are using a private hauler to get this exemption. Expect it to be a significant hassle.
- Types of Off-Grid Waste Removal Systems
- How to Build a Modern Latrine
- DIY Composting Toilet Instructions
- Which Composting Toilets Are Best for Homes?
So if my neighbor doesn’t have trash pickup and garbage bags are piling up, no running water and 5 dogs, 4 chained outside, and no septic means they are doing things they are not supposed to do. It is starting to stink real bad down there.
I hear you. I used to be vehementlyy opposed to the idea of “government telling us what we can do on our properties” until I saw how disgusting places can get when regulations aren’t enforced. Hope you don’t end up in a terrible fight with the neighbors. :/
How do I live off the grid absolutely free?