State rankings
Outhouses Legality by State
Outhouses Legality by State: compare 50 US states on 2 metrics.
Outhouses Legality
4 values across 50 entries
Data
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50 states
 Alabama | Illegal | Legal only in remote locations without indoor plumbing. |
 Alaska | Illegal | Outhouses are legal under the law, but many local laws otften make it illegal. |
 Arizona | Legal | Usually only permitted in certain situations, such as when septic tanks are not feasible. |
 Arkansas | Illegal | — |
 California | Illegal | Legality may vary in some counties. |
 Colorado | Illegal | Allowed only as temporary method - no more than 7 days in very remote areas. |
 Connecticut | Legal | Only for nonresidental use. |
 Delaware | Illegal | — |
 Florida | Illegal | Only legal in non-permanent residences in remote areas without electricity. |
 Georgia | Legal With NSF Approval | Certain regulations must be followed. Outhouses may be illegal in some counties. |
 Hawaii | Illegal | — |
 Idaho | Legal | — |
 Illinois | Legal With NSF Approval | — |
 Indiana | Illegal | Legal if there is no running water or possibility of a septic tank. |
 Iowa | Illegal | — |
 Kansas | Illegal | Vault-type outhouses are legal, but many counties forbid all outhouses. |
 Kentucky | Illegal | — |
 Louisiana | Legal | Only in homes that do not have water under pressure. |
 Maine | Permit required | — |
 Maryland | Illegal | Only allowed in dwellings that do not have water under pressure. |
 Massachusetts | Illegal | — |
 Michigan | Legal | The State Law doesn't prohibit outhouses, but there are restrictions and many counties prohibit them. |
 Minnesota | Permit required | — |
 Mississippi | Permit required | Legal only in remote locations without indoor plumbing. |
 Missouri | Illegal | Legal only in remote locations without indoor plumbing. |
 Montana | Legal | — |
 Nebraska | Legal | Only in decentralized camping areas. |
 Nevada | Permit required | — |
 New Hampshire | Permit required | — |
 New Jersey | Illegal | — |
 New Mexico | Legal | — |
 New York | Legal | It's illegal to build a new pit-privy. |
 North Carolina | Permit required | — |
 North Dakota | Permit required | — |
 Ohio | Illegal | Illegal in most cases, but may be permitted with strict requirements. |
 Oklahoma | Legal | While outhouses are not specifically mentioned in Oklahoma's laws, they could be approved as an "alternative system". |
 Oregon | Legal | — |
 Pennsylvania | Illegal | Exception for homes that do not have water under pressure. |
 Rhode Island | Illegal | — |
 South Carolina | Legal | Often illegal under county laws. |
 South Dakota | Illegal | Only outhouses built before 1975 are legal. |
 Tennessee | Permit required | Outhouses are usually illegal, but can be used when the home has no running water. |
 Texas | Legal | — |
 Utah | Permit required | Only allowed for temporary use in remote locations where there is no water supply or wastewater disposal. |
 Vermont | Permit required | — |
 Virginia | Legal | Many restrictions and regulations excist. Also, other local laws may make outhouses illegal. |
 Washington | Illegal | — |
 West Virginia | Legal | — |
 Wisconsin | Legal | — |
 Wyoming | Permit required | — |
Quick answers
- Where does this outhouses legality by state data come from?
- Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: What Is An Outhouse? 8 Things (2025) You Should Know - GC; The Off-Grid Laws of Every State in America: What States Allow Off Grid Living? - Primal Survival; What is an outhouse? - Brazos; Wastewater Information (Septic Systems) - Minnehaha County.