Browse by place · rural land
Every Oregon county
Two kinds of county page here, and the difference matters. 5 counties have had their own development code read — their district codes and rules are theirs, cited to the county’s own materials. The other 31 answer from Oregon statewide law plus their recorded position on two optional housing statutes, and every page says so.
Inside a city the answer stops depending on the county at all — state law sets it by the city’s population. Those are on the cities page.
Status as of September 9, 2026.
19
counties where an ADU can be added on rural residential land
3
counties where an RV can be lived in or rented as a second home
5
counties whose own code has been read here
County by county
What a buyer of rural land can do that actually varies by county — one tag per question. Everything that is the same everywhere is said once beneath the table.
36 of 36 counties.
| County | Coverage here | Can I add an ADU on rural land? | Can I live in or rent an RV as a second home? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker County | State law only | Not confirmed — ask | Not confirmed — ask |
| Benton County | State law only | No — not adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Clackamas County | Own code read | Yes — county adopted | Yes — county adopted |
| Clatsop County | State law only | In progress — ask | Not confirmed — ask |
| Columbia County | Own code read | Yes — county adopted | No — not adopted |
| Coos County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Crook County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Curry County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Deschutes County | Own code read | Yes — county adopted | Yes — county adopted |
| Douglas County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Gilliam County | State law only | Not confirmed — ask | Not confirmed — ask |
| Grant County | State law only | Not confirmed — ask | Not confirmed — ask |
| Harney County | State law only | Not confirmed — ask | Not confirmed — ask |
| Hood River County | State law only | In progress — ask | In progress — ask |
| Jackson County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Jefferson County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Josephine County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Klamath County | State law only | No — not adopted | No — not adopted |
| Lake County | State law only | Not confirmed — ask | Not confirmed — ask |
| Lane County | Own code read | Yes — county adopted | Yes — county adopted |
| Lincoln County | State law only | No — not adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Linn County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Malheur County | State law only | No — not adopted | No — not adopted |
| Marion County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Morrow County | State law only | No — not adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Multnomah County | State law only | No — not adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Polk County | State law only | No — not adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Sherman County | State law only | Not confirmed — ask | Not confirmed — ask |
| Tillamook County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Umatilla County | State law only | No — not adopted | No — not adopted |
| Union County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Wallowa County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Wasco County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
| Washington County | Own code read | Yes — county adopted | No — not adopted |
| Wheeler County | State law only | Not confirmed — ask | Not confirmed — ask |
| Yamhill County | State law only | Yes — county adopted | Not confirmed — ask |
The same in every county, so not a column: a first house on rural residential land is generally what the district is for, subject to sanitation, access and the county’s standards; on farm and forest land it depends on a narrow statutory route the county decides on the parcel’s facts; a barn is generally the most available thing on resource land; an RV is not a dwelling anywhere in Oregon law outside the option in the last column.
Own code read means the county’s district codes and rules are its own, cited to its materials; state law only means the page rests on statute plus the county’s recorded adoptions, and says so. Both columns of tags are recorded adoptions as of September 9, 2026; a county can adopt at any time.
The answer inverts at the urban growth boundary
One question, opposite answers, opposite conditions — and the boundary does not appear on a listing. Which side a lot is on is the first thing to establish, before any county detail below means anything.
Inside a UGB — a city lot, or urban county land
Required by state law
- A city above 2,500, or a county above 15,000, must allow at least one accessory dwelling with every detached single-family house in districts zoned for them.
- The city may not require the owner to live in either unit.
- The city may not require additional off-street parking.
- Reasonable siting and design standards only. Vacation occupancy may be regulated.
ORS 197A.425 · source · every city, by population, on the cities page
Outside a UGB — rural residential land
A county option — 19 of 36 have taken it up
- Available only where the county has adopted it: Clackamas, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Lane, Linn, Marion, Tillamook, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington, Yamhill. Elsewhere it is not on offer at all.
- The statute generally requires an existing single-family dwelling on the parcel — so nothing on a vacant lot.
- Commonly a two-acre minimum, a 900 square foot limit, siting within 100 feet of the house, fire protection service, sanitation compliance, and no vacation rental use.
- Farm and forest districts are outside the statute entirely.
ORS 215.495 · source · adoption status as of 2026-09-09
The lookup on the home page reports which side of the line a point falls on — a city name means inside, a county name generally means outside — and answers accordingly.
Options for a second dwelling
- Both an ADU and a rented RV (3)
- One of the two (16)
- Neither (17)
Whether a first dwelling can go on a parcel is decided by the district, not the county. Every county here contains both farm and forest land where one is generally unavailable and rural residential land where one generally is — so the map cannot answer that, and the planner asks for your district instead. Outlines are schematic, not a boundary of record. See every county.
General planning information, not legal advice. Describes what generally applies in a district, not a specific property. Confirm with the county — how this works.
What has moved, and what to watch
These statutes are adopted locally, so this is the part of the picture that changes without warning. Everything here was last checked on September 9, 2026.
Counties that have taken one up
Clackamas
Adopted both options effective September 3, 2024: rural accessory dwelling units under Zoning and Development Ordinance Section 839 in the RA-2, RRFF-5, FF-10, RR and FU-10 districts and in RA-1 inside designated unincorporated communities, and a recreational vehicle as a second dwelling on single-family residential zoned land, capped at 400 square feet.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Columbia
Adopted accessory dwelling units in the RR-2 and RR-5 zones by Ordinance 2023-1 (hearing August 15, 2023; integrated into the zoning ordinance October 12, 2023) at Section 224.2: at least two acres, 900 square feet, within 100 feet of the dwelling, fire protection district service, no vacation occupancy. The zoning ordinance as integrated through August 2023 carries no recreational vehicle rental dwelling provision.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Coos
Adopted rural accessory dwelling units in the RR-2 and RR-5 zones in 2024 through text amendment AM-24-002, recommended by the Planning Commission on June 6, 2024 and reported as approved by the Board of Commissioners by Final Decision and Order 24-07-030PL on July 22, 2024: at least two acres, one single-family dwelling, 900 square feet, within 100 feet, with the home-hardening building standards of ORS 215.495 applying.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Crook
Adopted accessory dwelling units by Ordinance 344 (2024), but only in the parts of the R-5 and R-10 rural residential zones west of Highway 27 and south of Highway 370, under Crook County Code 18.124.140. Planning Commission work sessions in October 2023 and January 2024 recorded that the county had not opted into the recreational vehicle rental dwelling statute; whether that has changed since was not established.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Curry
Zoning ordinance amendment ZOA.2022.01, approved by the Board of Commissioners in August 2022 as reported locally, added accessory dwelling units as a permitted use in the Rural Residential (RR) zone at Section 3.082, alongside short-term rental and R-2 density changes. The current ordinance text was not retrieved from the county's own site.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Deschutes
Adopted rural accessory dwelling units on November 1, 2023, effective December 1, 2023 (text amendment 247-22-000671-TA: the MUA-10 and rural residential zones, at least two acres, 900 square feet, within 100 feet, fire protection service), and recreational vehicles as rental dwellings by emergency ordinance on May 7, 2025 (247-23-000700-TA: the RR-10, MUA, SR 2½, UAR-10 and WTZ zones; at least two acres, five in parts of South County; within 100 feet of the primary dwelling).
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Douglas
Allows rural accessory dwelling units on land zoned for rural residential use outside an urban growth boundary, documented in the county's Rural Accessory Dwelling Unit Agreement (2024): one existing lawfully established single-family dwelling, 900 square feet of usable floor area, within 100 feet, sanitation compliance, one added off-street parking space, and no land division separating the unit.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Jackson
Adopted accessory dwelling units by Ordinance 2024-06, effective November 25, 2024: on rural residential zoned parcels outside an urban growth boundary and urban reserve, at least two acres, 900 square feet of usable floor area, within 100 feet of the existing dwelling, with fire-safety access standards.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Jefferson
The county's accessory dwelling unit page states standards adopted under SB 391: at least two acres with exactly one existing single-family dwelling, 900 square feet of usable floor area, no overnight rental and a 45-day minimum rental period. The same page lists the rural residential zones (RR-2, RR-5, RR-10 and RR-20) and several community zones as those considered; confirm which zones the adopted ordinance covers.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Josephine
Josephine County Code 19.61.020(B) allows one accessory dwelling unit in the rural residential zones: at least two acres, not in an urban reserve, 900 square feet, within 100 feet of the dwelling, the wildfire and emergency safety standards of Chapter 19.76, and no vacation occupancy. The chapter's history runs through Ordinance 2025-003 (November 13, 2025).
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Lane
Adopted rural accessory dwelling units by Ordinance 23-05 on August 29, 2023 (Lane Code 16.290(8)) and recreational vehicles as rental dwellings by Ordinance 25.01, effective February 27, 2025 (Lane Code 16.290(9)): rural residential land outside an urban reserve, an owner-occupied dwelling with no other dwelling units, and not within the regulatory floodplain.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Linn
The county's accessory dwelling unit pre-application checklist sets standards for the RR-1, RR-2.5, RR-5 and RR-10 zones: at least two acres, 900 square feet of usable floor area, within 100 feet of the existing dwelling, with septic, water, emergency access and fire access standards.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Marion
Adopted accessory dwelling units in the Acreage Residential (AR) zone by Ordinance 1458 in January 2024 (Marion County Code 17.128.020(K)): parcels over two acres, not in an urban reserve or a groundwater-restricted area, 900 square feet, within 100 feet of the primary dwelling, with a recorded deed restriction. Recreational vehicles, park models and tiny houses on wheels do not qualify as the unit.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Tillamook
Land Use Ordinance Section 3.010 (final May 22, 2024) lists an accessory dwelling unit as defined in ORS 215.495 as a use permitted outright in the RR-2 and RR-10 zones, subject to Section 3.010(5): not in an urban reserve, at least two acres, one single-family dwelling, no guest house or other dwelling unit, and a recreational vehicle or yurt may not serve as the unit. Recreational vehicles are otherwise permitted outright during construction and conditionally under Section 5.130; no adoption of the rental dwelling statute was found.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Union
Adopted accessory dwelling units in the R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4 zones by Ordinance 2024-03 (second reading August 21, 2024): at least two acres, an existing single-family dwelling, fire protection district service, within 100 feet, 900 square feet, no vacation or short-term occupancy, approved by the Planning Commission as a conditional use after a public hearing with a $300 application fee, and excluded in the Medical Springs and Pondosa area.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Wallowa
The Land Development Ordinance's Rural Residential (R-1) article, adopted December 7, 2022, allows an accessory dwelling unit by administrative review meeting all requirements of ORS 215.495, capped at 900 square feet, sharing the dwelling's approved sewage system, and reducing the number of recreational vehicles allowed on the parcel to one. Adoption of the recreational vehicle rental dwelling statute was not established.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Wasco
Housing amendments to the Land Use and Development Ordinance, reported as adopted by the Board of Commissioners after a May 21, 2025 hearing and effective June 13, 2025 absent appeal, add accessory dwelling units on rural residential land under the state criteria, capped at 900 square feet. The adopted ordinance text was not retrieved from the county's own site.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Washington
Adopted rural accessory dwelling units by A-Engrossed Ordinance 912 on April 28, 2026, effective May 28, 2026, in the AF-10, AF-5 and RR-5 districts (Community Development Code Section 430-3): outside a UGB and urban reserve, at least two acres, one primary dwelling, a fire protection service letter, no groundwater-restricted area, 900 square feet, within 100 feet, no vacation occupancy. Living in a recreational vehicle remains prohibited apart from an approved health hardship.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
Yamhill
Zoning Ordinance Section 1014 (Ordinance 906 of June 28, 2018, amended by Ordinance 928 on June 29, 2023) allows accessory dwelling units on rural residential land outside a UGB: at least two acres, not in an urban reserve, within 100 feet of the dwelling, 900 square feet or 75 percent of the primary dwelling's floor area, whichever is less. A recreational vehicle may not be used as the unit.
Checked September 9, 2026 · source
In motion — worth re-asking
A county here is actively mid-process. That is not a no, and it is the entry most likely to be out of date by the time you read this.
Clatsop
Ordinance 24-14 (2024) amended the Land and Water Development and Use Code to allow accessory dwelling units on rural residential land of at least two acres, among other housing changes. The Land Use Board of Appeals remanded the ordinance on May 27, 2025 for further findings, so it is not in effect; a remand hearing before the Board of Commissioners was scheduled for August 27, 2025. Whether it has since been re-adopted was not established.
Checked September 9, 2026
Hood River
The Planning Commission held a work session on October 22, 2025 on whether to allow accessory dwelling units under ORS 215.495 in rural residential zones — staff recommended adopting the statute's provisions — and on whether to allow recreational vehicles as tenant housing under ORS 215.490, where staff recommended a limited option or none. No adoption of either was found.
Checked September 9, 2026
A further 27 counties have at least one statute recorded as not confirmed — meaning it has not been checked here, which is neither a yes nor a no. They are marked in the table below.
A “not adopted” entry records what was found on the date shown, not a permanent position — and a county can adopt at any time, including by emergency ordinance. If a pathway matters to a purchase, ask the county whether anything has changed since that date rather than relying on it.
About these two laws
ORS 215.490 — RV as a second dwelling (SB 1013, 2023)
Optional for counties: the statute says a county 'may allow' this use, so it has no effect anywhere until adopted locally. As of September 2026 three counties — Clackamas, Deschutes and Lane — have adopted it by ordinance, Hood River County has it under discussion, and five counties' own materials show it has not been taken up. An entry recorded as not confirmed means this site has not found the county's position, which is neither a yes nor a no. Counties can adopt at any time, so treat any 'not adopted' entry as a prompt to re-check rather than a permanent answer. Note the statute generally requires owner occupancy of a primary dwelling on the same property and generally prohibits vacation occupancy or other short-term use of the recreational vehicle.
Last verified September 9, 2026 · source
SB 391 (2021) / SB 644 (2023) — rural accessory dwelling units
Optional for counties, and adoption spread widely between 2023 and 2026: the counties recorded as adopted below are confirmed from their own code or published materials unless the entry says its evidence is secondary, two counties are mid-process, and the counties recorded as not adopted have code that confines accessory dwellings to urban growth boundaries or carries no rural provision. Absence from the adopted list means not confirmed rather than confirmed absent. A 2026 bill, SB 1578, proposed raising the statute's 900 square foot limit to 2,500; it was still in the Senate Committee on Housing and Development when the session ended, so the 900 square foot limit stands.
Last verified September 9, 2026 · source