How to Stay Off the Government’s Grid

An expert-approved guide on getting away from the man

Co-authored by Eric McClure Reviewed by Matthew Snipp, PhD

Last Updated: January 19, 2026 Fact Checked

Across the world, our lives are being tracked and monitored as never before. Maybe you want to be off the government grid. Or maybe you just want to have less information out there about yourself for privacy reasons. There are ways you can do this. We even sat down with technology experts, sustainability specialists, and researchers to get the inside scoop on what you’d need to do to stay out of the government’s eye.

How to Avoid the Government and Be Free

Going off the government’s grid requires changing the way you live. Get off the internet, close your social media accounts, and switch to a cash-only system. Find a way to generate your own energy and begin homesteading, if possible.

1

Get off the internet.

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As much as we enjoy your company, the government can track anything online. You will have to go back to the 1980s style of living if you want to keep the government from knowing what you’re up to. Clear your digital footprint and avoid using the internet for anything you can do IRL.^{[1]
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- Do not use social media. US Census Bureau Research Fellow Matthew Snipp, PhD explains, “Twitter, Facebook, Google, you can go down the usual suspects, and they know more about people on a daily minute-by-minute basis... the government does not even have a fraction of the kind of data that credit card companies and social media possess about their users.”^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  Matthew Snipp, PhD
  Research Fellow, U.S. Bureau of the Census
  
  Expert Interview}
- If you want to stay online, at least use a VPN. Consumer technology expert Mitch Harris says, “The best way to stay anonymous is through a wholesale proxy, which would be a VPN, and that means that all of your internet traffic gets funneled through a specific source and between your computer and whatever VPN provider you use, all of your traffic is invisible.”^{[3]
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  Mitch Harris
  Consumer Technology Expert
  
  Expert Interview}
- Set your expectations. While it’s certainly possible to minimize the amount of information you voluntarily give the government, you cannot completely, 100% disappear. You will always leave a trail somewhere, and the law will always have jurisdiction over you wherever you are.
Meet the wikiHow Experts

April Jordan is a sustainability specialist who focuses on ethical consumption and self-sufficiency.

Mitch Harris is a technology expert who runs a consulting company that helps individuals and businesses maintain data security.

Matthew Snipp, PhD is a Research Fellow with the US Bureau of the Census and a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.

2

Get rid of your cell phone.

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It’s going to be hard to stay off the grid if you’re using a cell phone. Law enforcement can triangulate and track your cell signal. If you want to keep the phone for emergencies, at least take the battery out or leave the cell phone somewhere you don’t frequent. Alternatively, you can use prepaid phones (“burners”) whenever you have someone you need to contact.
- It’s the built-in GPS in cell phones that makes it easy to track you. Even if you don’t make a call, you can be tracked because cell phones and towers are constantly connecting with each other.
- Dr. Snipp had these subtle words for the matter: “If you're worried about surveillance, smash your cellphone now.”^{[4]
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  Expert Source
  
  Matthew Snipp, PhD
  Research Fellow, U.S. Bureau of the Census
  
  Expert Interview}

3

Delete your information from mining sites.

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Mining sites are responsible for sharing your data everywhere. It's rather shocking how much personal information is available online about people, from their addresses to their familial connections.
- There are many paid sites online that will delete much of this information for you. Some data mining sites also have a process for you to ask for your data to be removed. This can be very time-consuming, but it can be worth it. Step one is to Google yourself to see what's already out there.
- The sites tend to have different processes for the removal of information. Some will require letters and faxes. Most have a process to do so. Use a post office box to prevent the sites from getting your address in the future (although be aware that they often purchase addresses from public records).

4

Minimize the odds of identity theft.

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Monitor your personal information to confirm you’re off the grid. It's not just the government that may collect your personal information; you may want to protect your privacy from data mining and other sites.
- Change your passwords frequently, and don't respond to spamming requests that demand your personal information.^{[5]
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- Destroy private information with a shredder. Memorize your Social Security number, and keep it in a safety deposit box or safe instead of carrying it with you.

5

Minimize your tax burden.

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The less you give to the government, the easier it will be to avoid them. You have to pay your taxes, there’s no way around that, but you can minimize how much you need to send them in the first place. There are ways you can reduce the government's interference in your checkbook at tax time!
- Contribute money to a 401K account or IRA. Also, you can write off student loan interest.^{[6]
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- Buy a house, contribute to charity, take college classes, save your receipts, and have your taxes done by a professional who knows tax laws better than you do.

6

Generate your own power.

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Get off the government’s literal grid by taking care of energy yourself. In the most simplistic sense, living off the grid can mean not connecting into government provided electricity. Survive on your own.
- Solar energy or your own generator can provide power instead.^{[7]
  X
  Research source} Try not to use light at night. Perhaps use candles.
- Make your own food by gardening. Settle on land that offers available water so you don’t need to depend on the government for water.^{[8]
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- Always have a backup plan. Sustainability specialist April Jordan explains: “Definitely think about where you're going to get your supplies when you do need them, things like fuel or electricity. You're going to want to think about what could happen if, suppose you have solar panels, if they break down, what are you going to do? What's your backup?”^{[9]
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  Expert Source
  
  April Jordan
  Sustainability Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}

7

Get off the roads.

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Whenever possible, avoid major roads and highways. In urban areas especially, where surveillance cameras and police devices are able to track your movements through your vehicle’s license plate. Get rid of the GPS device in your car.
- Instead, walk or ride a bicycle when you can. In addition, avoid toll roads, toll bridges, and HOV lanes because they are monitored with surveillance cameras. Take a cab and pay cash. Rental car information can be tracked.
- Avoid parking in garages and lots with surveillance cameras and, if you use public transit, buy the ticket from the machine instead of using a new card payment system.^{[10]
  X
  Research source} Avoid driving on interstate highways.

8

Mix your routine up to avoid patterns.

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Doing the same thing every day will make you much easier to track. Don’t take the same exact route every time you go to the store or to work. Avoid shopping at the same stores or getting gas at the same gas station. Mix up your routine.
- Don’t get deliveries to your home because that will create a record. Use maps instead of GPS. Buy a shredder to shred all paper documents when you are done with them.
- Get a post office box so that purchases can’t be traced back to your home. This will make it harder for the government to trace you, not just data mining sites.

9

Consume media consciously.

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Watch your reading and viewing habits. Ordering streaming videos from a service like Netflix can put you on the grid. Instead, order DVDs. Get a game console with single-player games so you don't need the internet.
- Don’t order books from the library with a library card, as these can also be traced.

10

Use gift cards instead of debit or credit.

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Use gift cards to make anonymous purchases. If you have a credit card, you can be traced. It’s better to use credit card gift cards, and use those for purchases.
- You can buy these cards from big-name companies like Visa and American Express in many department and even grocery stores. You just throw them away when you use up the balance.
- There’s no statement attached to these cards, and you don’t provide your personal details when you buy them or use them.

11

Stop using banks.

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Cancel any bank accounts and use an untraceable alternative. Use cryptocurrency like Bitcoin or a prepaid card paid for in cash. Or just try to use cash more than you currently do now.
- If you decide not to go that far and want to keep a bank account, do not use credit or debit cards, and do not do online banking.
- Be aware that banks are filled with surveillance cameras and transactions greater than $10,000 can be tracked by the government. So take out cash in small increments.

12

Destroy your computer’s disc drives.

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To fully eliminate your digital footprint, damage your computer's disc drives. You can do this by boiling it and then smashing it with a hammer before discarding it.
- Buy a new computer (do not buy refurbished), wipe the OS and replace it with SSH, or Linux-based OSs like Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, or Kali.
- Encrypt the hard disk with a strong password using Truecrypt, and use the hidden drive feature. Never connect it to the Internet.

13

Post false information about yourself.

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Fill the Internet with wrong information to confuse people. Use a library or burner smartphone to post disinformation that will keep anyone looking for you guessing.You might post fake addresses, publish altered photos of yourself, or post about fake jobs you hold.
- You can put misinformation out there on social networks and so forth, making it harder to tracers to find you.^{[11]
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14

Adjust your appearance to avoid being spotted.

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Mix up how you dress and behave to stay as anonymous as possible. If you’re trying to completely vanish, adopt a different look, including a different hair color.
- Drive a car that is the opposite of what would be expected. Change your lifestyle. Work as a janitor if you used to be a CEO, for example.
- Break all of your normal patterns, including where you eat, where you shop, and the kind of work you do. Live a simple life so you don’t stand out.^{[12]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

What are some other important considerations to think about before choosing to live off the grid and live a very minimalist lifestyle?

April Jordan
Sustainability Specialist
April Jordan is a Sustainability Specialist and the Founder of The Ethical Edit, a blog dedicated to making ethical fashion and lifestyle changes accessible by sharing easy-to-digest sustainability information and ethical and sustainable brand reviews. With over five years of experience in sustainability and over five years in the marketing and communications field, April is passionate about using her skills to make the world a better place.

April Jordan

Sustainability Specialist

Expert Answer

Definitely think about where you're going to get your supplies when you do need them, for example, things like fuel or electricity. You're going to want to think about what could happen if something breaks. What's your backup? If you do drive to your location, you should probably have a backup of fuel in case you need to go to town for delivery service. I would also think about having a backup of food and backup ways to store cold food, for example, heavy-duty freezers that can keep your food cold for several days even if the power goes out.

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How will I keep up with the latest memes?

Community Answer

Go to a library and log onto one of their computers. Make sure you don't go to the same library every time. Create a fake social media account.

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What happens if the government finds out that I'm trying to get off the grid?

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It is not like the government goes around to check out every individual. No one really cares about what you do in your life, especially if your record is clean. Just keep out of anything illegal and you should be fine.

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Remember: Any communication you make, whether by phone, mobile phone, or the internet, can be listened to.

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Consider using a different name. Come up with a completely new background story. Never reveal where you're staying.

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Assume that everyone that you make contact with in any and every situation is law enforcement. Not to say that they definitely are, but treat the information you give them carefully.

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Consider living in a car. If you think you've overstayed your welcome, you can just drive somewhere else.
Try to avoid communicating with old friends or family.

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