Map Options
Legal
15
Illegal
14
Conditions Required
11
Pemit Required
9
Legal with NSF approval
1
Outhouses Legality by State 2024
How Does The U.S. Regulate Off-Grid Living?
Outhouses are generally considered off-grid modifications for the release of human waste. Few states make the distinction between the two extremes of legal and illegal; most have adopted an approval or permit system. Generally speaking, if the area is highly metropolitan, has a large population, or is concerned about water usage, their laws will be more strict in regard to outhouse installation.
For off grid-living, there are different types of outhouse toilets. Traditional outhouses, bucket toilets, compostable toilets, and tank/septic systems are all popular options. Compostable toilets should have NSF certification to be used
In What States Are Outhouses Legal?
- Alabama: outhouses are illegal.
- Alaska: Outhouses are allowed but strict rules apply.
- Arizona: Legal with a permit. Certain modifications may apply.
- Arkansas: Legal with NSF approval.
- California: Legal with a permit. Outhouses are illegal throughout most of the state.
- Colorado: Only NSF-approved compost toilets are allowed for less than 7 days.
- Connecticut: Legal with the local department of health. Waste from compost toilets must be buried.
- Delaware: All outhouses are illegal
- Florida: Legal with NSF approval.
- Georgia: Only NSF-approved compost toilets are allowed. Waste from compost toilets must be buried.
- Hawaii: Outhouses are illegal
- Idaho: Pit privies are legal
- Illinois: Only NSF-approved compost toilets are allowed.
- Indiana: Extremely restrictive, only allowed if no sanitary sewer is available.
- Iowa: Permits may be needed for “alternative toilets.”
- Kansas: Pit privies are illegal, but vault-type outhouses are allowed
- Kentucky: Outhouses are illegal, but still found in many parts of the state
- Louisiana: No regulations.
- Maine: Permit is required
- Maryland: Only allowed in dwellings without water under pressure
- Massachusetts: Generally illegal
- Michigan: Each county sets its own law. Certain modifications may apply.
- Minnesota: Legal with few regulations.
- Mississippi: Legal with local or state approval. They must be used only in remote areas of the state and require a permit.
- Missouri: Extremely restrictive, only allowed if no sanitary sewer is available.
- Montana: Legal
- Nebraska: Legal with a permit and inspection.
- Nevada: There are regulations about when waste disposal systems can be used. Permits are also required.
- New Hampshire: Outhouses are legal
- New Jersey: Illegal, but may be allowed under certain circumstances
- New Mexico: Legal with a permit.
- New York: Legal with few regulations. Water from sinks and showers is required to be connected to the public sewage system for treatment.
- North Carolina: Outhouses are legal
- North Dakota: Legal with few regulations and requiring a permit.
- Ohio: Illegal, with few exceptions
- Oklahoma: Permit is required
- Oregon: Legal with a permit and possible inspection. Certain modifications may apply.
- Pennsylvania: Legal with NSF approval. Connection to the municipal sewage system is usually required.
- Rhode Island: Illegal
- South Carolina: Legal, but only when used with a septic system.
- South Dakota: Illegal
- Tennessee: Illegal, but may be used if no running water is available to the dwelling
- Texas: Legal with NSF approval. No permit is required for single-family usage in counties with less than 40,000 people.
- Utah: Legal, but only able to be built and used in certain areas
- Vermont: Legal with few regulations and a permit.
- Virginia: Outhouses are legal
- Washington: Illegal in most areas of the state
- West Virginia: Outhouses are legal
- Wisconsin: Legal, with relaxed regulations.
- Wyoming: Outhouses will require a permit if self-contained
State | Outhouses Legality | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Illegal | Outhouses are illegal |
| Alaska | Legal | Outhouses are allowed in many areas |
| Arizona | Pemit Required | Outhouses are legal in Arizona. However, they are usually only permitted in certain situations |
| Arkansas | Legal | Pit privy latrines, similar to outhouses, are also allowed in many areas. |
| California | Pemit Required | Throughout most of California, outhouses are usually illegal. They are generally only allowed in pri... |
| Colorado | Illegal | Outhouses are essentially illegal in Colorado. They can only be used as a temporary method (no more ... |
| Connecticut | Conditions Required | Dry vault privies are technically legal in Connecticut but only for nonresidential use. This makes i... |
| Delaware | Illegal | All types of outhouses are illegal in Delaware. The state's onsite wastewater laws don't specificall... |
| Florida | Legal with NSF approval | outhouses are legal in Florida if they are approved by the NSF. |
| Georgia | Conditions Required | There are also regulations about how and where the outhouse can be constructed, such as keeping it a... |
| Hawaii | Illegal | Pit privies are illegal in Hawaii. With few exceptions, portable toilets are also illegal. |
| Idaho | Legal | Pit privies are legal in Idaho. |
| Illinois | Conditions Required | Outhouses – including pit and vault privies – are legal in Illinois. However, the law stipulates tha... |
| Indiana | Illegal | In almost all cases, it is illegal to have an outhouse in Indiana. There are a few exceptions where ... |
| Iowa | Conditions Required | “Every private sewage disposal system shall have as a primary treatment unit a septic tank” and “All... |
| Kansas | Conditions Required | Pit privy outhouses are illegal in Kansas, but vault-type outhouses are still legal under State law. |
| Kentucky | Illegal | Even though outhouses are still found throughout many parts of Kentucky, they are actually illegal. |
| Louisiana | Legal | Outhouses, called “pit privies”, are still legal in Louisiana. They are only allowed in homes that d... |
| Maine | Pemit Required | Outhouses are legal in Maine, but you need a permit. |
| Maryland | Conditions Required | Outhouses are generally not legal in Maryland. They are only allowed in dwellings that do not have w... |
| Massachusetts | Illegal | Outhouses, including pit and vault privies, are illegal in Massachusetts. They are considered “nonco... |
| Michigan | Legal | Outhouses are generally allowed, but each county will issue its own permits and inspections, so be s... |
| Minnesota | Legal | Composting toilets and outhouses are legal in Minnesota. |
| Mississippi | Pemit Required | Outhouses are technically legal in Mississippi, but only in very remote areas where the building has... |
| Missouri | Illegal | In almost all cases, outhouses are illegal in Missouri. They are only allowed in places which are: N... |
| Montana | Legal | Outhouses (called pit privies) are legal in Montana. However, unlined pit privies are only legal for... |
| Nebraska | Pemit Required | both composting toilets and pit privies are legal in Nebraska, you may need to have them permitted a... |
| Nevada | Conditions Required | Composting toilets, pit privies, and other alternative waste disposal systems are generally legal in... |
| New Hampshire | Legal | New Hampshire is one of the few states in the USA where outhouses are still legal. |
| New Jersey | Illegal | Outhouses are completely illegal in New Jersey. There are only a few very limited exceptions for cam... |
| New Mexico | Legal | Outhouses, including unlined pit latrines, are legal in New Mexico. The state considers outhouses to... |
| New York | Conditions Required | Installing any of these off-grid toilets is generally legal in New York.However, there are regulatio... |
| North Carolina | Legal | North Carolina is one of the few states where outhouses (called privies) are legal. |
| North Dakota | Pemit Required | Pit privies are legal in North Dakota. However, the pit privy must have a watertight structure in th... |
| Ohio | Illegal | In almost all cases, outhouses are not legal in Ohio. |
| Oklahoma | Pemit Required | Outhouses are not mentioned in Oklahoma's onsite sewage rules and regulations. However, they could b... |
| Oregon | Legal | Outhouse latrines are legal in Oregon. They are referred to as “pit privies” in the law and require ... |
| Pennsylvania | Conditions Required | Outhouses are called pit privies under Pennsylvania law. They are almost always illegal. However, ma... |
| Rhode Island | Illegal | Outhouses are illegal in Rhode Island. Even campgrounds are generally required to have flush toilets... |
| South Carolina | Legal | Outhouses are legal under South Carolina State law. They are called “privies” and defined as a build... |
| South Dakota | Illegal | Outhouses, or pit privies are prohibited by South Dakota regulations. |
| Tennessee | Illegal | outhouses are not legal in Tennessee. They are allowed as the only form of waste removal if you do n... |
| Texas | Conditions Required | an outhouse may not be built within 75 feet of a drinking water well or a human habitation other tha... |
| Utah | Conditions Required | Under Utah State law, vault and pit privies are legal. However, they are only allowed for “temporary... |
| Vermont | Pemit Required | Outhouses are legal in Vermont. You'll need to get a permit from the sewage officer. However, there'... |
| Virginia | Legal | Virginia is one of the most permissive states in regards to waste disposal. The state law allows out... |
| Washington | Illegal | In many places in Washington State, outhouses are illegal. |
| West Virginia | Legal | |
| Wisconsin | Legal | Pit privies are legal under Wisconsin State law. Local counties may forbid them, but many rural coun... |
| Wyoming | Pemit Required | Need to get a permit to legally use an outhouse. However, depending on the county, there may be rule... |
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