Certain businesses can be operated from a residence with administrative approval from the Zoning Department and the issuance of a Home Occupation Permit.  In addition to a Home Occupation Permit, you will also need to contact the Commissioner of Revenue’s Office for a business license. For administrative approval for a home occupation, these businesses must be able to meet all of the following characteristics:

• The business must be clearly incidental to the home use (the primary use of the home or apartment is maintained as a residence)
• Work activities must be carried on wholly inside the main structure or in a fully-enclosed accessory building.
• The only employees working in the home are members of the family who reside in the home.
• There will be no group instruction.
• There will be no sign or exterior advertising.
• There will be no visible display or storage of material.
• No additional noise or traffic will be generated than what would be normally expected with a home.

Non-Permitted Home Occupations

The following uses are not permitted as home occupations:

• Animal hospitals and kennels
• Any type of repair or assembly of vehicles or equipment with internal combustion engines (such as autos, motorcycles, scooters, lawn mowers, chainsaws, and other small engines) or of large appliances (such as washing machines, dryers, and refrigerators)
• Bulk storage of flammable liquids
• Commercial nursery or truck farm
• Dispatch centers or other businesses where employees come to the site and are dispatched to other locations
• Food handling, processing or packing other than services that utilize standard home kitchen equipment
• Funeral homes and mortuaries
• Group instruction
• Material or equipment storage businesses
• Medical or dental clinics and labs
• Restaurants
• Retail-oriented uses
• Tow truck services
• Vehicle or equipment rental