South Dakota
Buying Land in Fall River County, South Dakota
Southern Black Hills' Fall River County, seat Hot Springs, sits near Angostura Reservoir and adjoins Wind Cave National Park in Custer County. The county confirms it has no planning and zoning at all -- its distinctive response is a county-assembled "Code of the West" document setting expectations for rural life here, while flood-plain and plat rules, plus the City of Hot Springs' own separate zoning, still apply.
No zoning, but a distinctive 'Code of the West' disclosure
Fall River County confirms directly that it has no planning and zoning ordinance for the unincorporated county. What makes Fall River's approach distinctive, rather than simply a copy of how other unzoned South Dakota counties operate, is the county commissioners' response: a document called the "Code of the West," assembled specifically to set expectations for people moving into rural, unzoned Fall River County. The document's premise, per the county's own framing, is that most residents embrace the lack of zoning, but that also means landowners themselves are responsible for knowing things a building-permit process would otherwise flag for them elsewhere -- issues like agricultural odors and noise from neighboring operations, road maintenance responsibility, open range/livestock realities, and similar rural-life realities that a zoning ordinance in a more regulated county might address through nuisance or buffer provisions. Any buyer new to rural South Dakota should read this document before closing, not after.
The absence of zoning doesn't mean the absence of every county land-use rule, though. Fall River County requires a permit to build within a flood plain under Ordinance 2007-1A, and two more recent ordinances govern how new parcels and roads are platted: Ordinance 2012-02 addresses road naming and ingress/egress requirements shown on a plat, and Ordinance 2018-1 sets standards for how section-line roads must be depicted on plats. If you're planning a new build near a drainage or floodplain, or platting a new parcel or access road, confirm current requirements with the county's Planning & Zoning or Director of Equalization office directly.
City zoning vs. county non-zoning, and the Black Hills tourism/recreation setting
A buyer evaluating land in or near Hot Springs should track a real jurisdictional split: the City of Hot Springs maintains its own zoning ordinance, covering zoning districts, setbacks, permitted uses, accessory structures, signage, home occupations, and variance procedures -- a genuine, detailed land-use code -- while Fall River County has none for the unincorporated area surrounding it. The city's ordinance even extends some provisions to property 'Outside of City but Adjacent,' such as land within a mile of the municipal airport, so a parcel just past the technical city limit may still be affected by city rules in specific ways. Confirm directly with the City of Hot Springs Building & Development office whether a specific parcel sits inside city limits, in an adjacent-provision area, or fully in the unzoned county.
On the recreation side, Fall River County genuinely contains Angostura Reservoir (roughly 4,400 water-surface acres and 42 miles of shoreline on the Cheyenne River) and the adjoining Angostura Recreation Area, a 1,125-acre state recreation area with camping, beaches, and boating access -- real, in-county amenities that support both tourism and part-time/recreational land demand near Hot Springs. Wind Cave National Park, by contrast, sits primarily in neighboring Custer County (its cave and most of its 33,970-acre surface wildlife sanctuary are there), even though it's commonly marketed alongside Hot Springs and is a short drive from town -- don't assume a Fall River County parcel is 'adjacent to' or 'borders' Wind Cave without confirming the actual surveyed boundary, since the park itself is largely a Custer County feature accessed from the Hot Springs area rather than a Fall River County one.
Who to Call Before Buying Land in Fall River County
We could not find a direct link to the full text of Fall River County's 'Code of the West' document; request it directly from the Auditor's office. We could not confirm which office (if any) handles septic/on-site wastewater permitting in the unincorporated county absent a zoning department; ask the Director of Equalization's office for a referral. No direct emails were confirmed for any Fall River County office beyond phone/website listings.
Other
Fall River County Auditor
General county government contact, commission agendas/minutes, and the county's own 'Code of the West' document.
Assessor / Property Tax
Fall River County Director of Equalization
Assessed value and property tax questions for a specific parcel; new-owner and building-notification procedures.
Recorder / Clerk / Land Records
Fall River County Register of Deeds
Recorded deed, easement, and plat history for a specific parcel.
Planning & Zoning
City of Hot Springs Building & Development (Zoning)
Zoning district, setback, and permit questions for parcels inside Hot Springs city limits or in an "Outside of City but Adjacent" area.
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Sources
- Planning & Zoning - Fall River County, South Dakota — Fall River County, South Dakota Government (accessed 2026-09)
- County Ordinances - Fall River County, South Dakota — Fall River County, South Dakota Government (accessed 2026-09)
- Land-Building Codes - Fall River County, South Dakota — Fall River County, South Dakota Government (accessed 2026-09)
- Welcome to City Of Hot Springs, SD (Zoning) — City of Hot Springs, South Dakota Government (accessed 2026-09)
- Angostura Recreation Area — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09)
- Angostura Reservoir — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09)
- Wind Cave National Park — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09)
- Director of Equalization - Fall River County, South Dakota (New Owner) — Fall River County, South Dakota Government (accessed 2026-09)
- Register of Deeds - Fall River County, South Dakota — Fall River County, South Dakota Government (accessed 2026-09)
- Auditors & Welfare Office - Fall River County, South Dakota — Fall River County, South Dakota Government (accessed 2026-09)
Last reviewed 2026-09