While living off the grid and self sufficient living may not always be the exact same thing, there are a lot of similarities! Just because someone technically lives off grid (doesn’t rely on public utilities), doesn’t mean they’re self sufficient. Is living off the grid the same thing as self sufficient living?

So while the answer is “ no, it’s not completely illegal to live off the grid“, it is becoming increasingly difficult and parts of it can be illegal in certain areas. Banks are not quick to lend on off grid homes. Other counties have building codes that are so expensive that it’s not affordable to build an off grid home. Some counties have really strict building codes making off-grid living almost impossible. Some counties do not allow you to camp on your own land or living a travel trailer on your own land. In some counties, it’s illegal to do such things as collect rainwater or have a solar power system that is not tied back into the grid. The truth is that due to government regulation, it is becoming more and more difficult to live off the grid. One article that discusses such thoughts is “ Camping on Your Own Land is Now Illegal“. There has been a lot of hype recently about off-grid living being illegal. A true off-grid house is able to operate completely independently of all traditional public utility services. Off-the-grid homes are autonomous they do not rely on municipal water supply, sewer, natural gas, electrical power grid, or similar utility services. This is what “living off the grid” means according to Wikipedia: Such systems include solar power, wells or cisterns, natural springs, septic systems, composting systems and more. Off grid homes are more or less “self sustainable” and have systems to make up for the use of public utilities. No public water, no public power and no public sewer. For the sake of our guide, living off the grid means to live without public utilities. Living off the grid means different things to different people.

There are also more families choosing to live off the grid every day that are blogging about their journey in hopes of inspiring others! We’ve put together the ultimate resource guide to off grid living from getting started to making small changes to your fully-developed off grid property. While off the grid living is a challenge, especially if it’s not something you’ve done before, there are more resources than ever to help you get started. Living off the grid is gaining popularity rapidly in the United States and many other countries.

Off grid communities