KaiserJeep wrote:pstarr, there are few places as f*cked up as California when it comes to government intrusions. I have never lived in a state before that would require building permits outside of a city. There is some overiding considerations at the Federal level for protected wetlands, but those are seldom enforced, and if you don't need a building permit, they'll never get a chance to say no anyway.
Nor are septic systems required most places. Outhouses still exist in Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusets, Alaska, and North Carolina. Those would be the other states I have resided in. None are states where counties require building permits or perform inspections or limit the duration of camping. Building permits, inspections, and such things are the stuff of cities and towns. Even tax rates ignore the presence or lack of structures, coarser distinctions such as "agricultural" or "forest" are made, or in some states such as Wisconsin, "MFP" (Managed Forest Program) meaning that you allow the cutting of firewood and recreational activities such as snow mobiles and ATVs. "MFP" is actually cheaper taxes than "Forest", and the state designates which trees can be felled for firewood.
Still, I find your assertion that "it is illegal to live off the grid" amazing. Care to expand on that? Because if there is no law preventing you from doing something, it is your Constitutional right to do so.
North Carolina does require building permits for permanent structures, though requirements vary from county to county. Septic permits are completely separate in our county, and one can get a septic permit for an RV site or other non-permanent structure. This is why "tiny houses" on frames/wheels are growing in popularity, here and in other places. A "permanent structure" is defined as a structure with a permanent foundation. A Certificate of Occupancy for a permanent structure is generally dependent on having passed all inspections, including an electrical inspection required by the utility, but temporary structures including RVs and tiny houses can have an electrical hookup set. Generally referred to as a "construction drop" around here. Full sized mobile homes require septic/sewer and electrical inspections (for the hookup), and I think in recent years, they require the mobile home be properly anchored in an approved manner; a gray area between permanent and non-permanent structures.
Bottom line is that one can have a septic system approved and installed without building a permanent structure, and get an RV style electrical connection, and stop there. In our county, all structures are taxed in some form. If an RV has a current registration, there is no property tax levied. If not, property tax is levied per its current value. My old RV is taxed about $10/year because I haven't paid the registration for several years.
Of course, if you live in a subdivision where covenants and/or restrictions are attached to your deed, other rules apply beyond the state and county requirements.
Many folks are 'grandfathered' in around here. If you've been living a certain way for a reasonably long period of time, have had no complaints and pay your taxes on time, the authorities aren't going to evict you. A few old timers I know have had issues with poor sewerage going into lakes or streams, and if the authorities find out, they will take action. My experience in rural areas is that common sense and flying under the radar, while meeting basic tax and sanitation requirements, go a long way towards letting folks live the way they choose.