Home Occupation Business Licenses

Home Occupation Business Licenses are small scale business ventures, or personal hobbies, whether conducted for profit or not, where the nature of the activity would make it impractical to expand to a full scale commercial or industrial type of enterprise.  The home must be the principal residence of the person running the business, and the residential character of the home must be maintained.  That means that materials for your business are kept out of sight on your property, and it doesn't look as though a business is operating there from the outside. 

Other requirements for a home occupation: 

• The home occupation shall be located in a zone in which it is allowed.
• The use must be carried on only by members of the family and not more than one additional outside employee or volunteer.
• There must be no offensive noise, vibration, smoke, dust, odor, heat or glare noticeable at or beyond the property line resulting from the operation.
• One sign shall be allowed, not exceeding four square feet in size advertising a home occupation business, so long as a portable sign is only displayed during hours the business is open.
• There shall be no display, other than the allowed sign, which would indicate from the exterior that the building is being used for any purpose other than a dwelling.
• There shall be no visible outside storage of materials associated with the home occupation operation.
• The use shall not adversely affect the residential character of the neighborhood, nor infringe upon the right of neighboring residents to enjoy the peaceful occupancy of their homes. The residential character of the building will be maintained.
• There shall not be excessive generation of traffic created by the home occupation, including frequent deliveries and pickups by trucks or other vehicles.
• There shall not be more than two vehicles parked on the City street adjoining the property belonging to an employee or customers of the operation.

There are certain types of businesses that are not allowed to be operated as home occupations.  That includes the following: 

• Auto body repair and painting.
• Any ongoing mechanical repair of internal combustion engines.
• Storage and/or distribution of toxic or flammable materials which, in the judgment of the State Fire Marshal, pose a dangerous risk to the residence, its occupants, and/or surrounding properties.
• Any operation which requires a special permit or any commercial or industrial type permits from any environmental agency, except for consulting services.
• Junk and salvage operations.
• Storage and/or sale of fireworks.