Zoning Laws for Business 1-2-3
Zoning laws regulate how land and property can be used, and they are designed for the common good.
Typical zones include residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural and recreational. However, there are
circumstances where a conditional use permit or a variance may be granted.
Home Business Zoning Laws
Generally, zoning laws for a home-based business are designed to ensure that the business does not disrupt
the residential neighborhood.
Particularly, these concerns would apply to a business that has customers and employees coming and going
regularly from the residence or a advertising sign posted in the front yard. If you run a company from home,
but you have no employees or customers frequenting the property, you may have nothing to worry about. Some
cities allow some business activity but have a limit, especially when it comes to parking.
 If you want to operate a company out of your home,
you want to find out what the zoning codes and legal requirements are for your area. Business zoning
requirements often come up when you apply for a business license, but if you want to find information
beforehand, you can usually locate requirements online at your city's website (see state-by-state city
resources).
Usually, restrictions apply for external physical changes to the property, including appearance, noise,
smell, traffic and signage. These can vary by city and county, so you want to contact your local government
office directly.
Specifically, you may need to check zoning laws for your business to make sure you can operate in your neighborhood (for
example, if you plan to run a group home, day care, commercial cooking business out of your home). You can
do this online through your city's website or sometimes
your local Chamber of
Commerce will have information. See also: How to Get a Business License
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