Home Business in Redding, CA

If you live in Redding or are thinking about moving there, home business are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Redding has 4 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of home business, and some of them might surprise you.

Customer Traffic Restrictions

Redding bars customers or clients from visiting a home business at all, with one narrow exception: Municipal Code Section 18.43.110(A)(7) allows up to two clients at a time for educational, therapeutic, or counseling services, plus direct sales from a cottage food operation. The ordinance also caps any home occupation's traffic at what is normal for the neighborhood, requiring no more than one extra parked vehicle.

Key details: Max clients at once: 2 (educational/therapeutic/counseling only). General retail visits: Not permitted. Extra parking allowed: 1 additional vehicle max. Cottage food direct sales: Allowed (Health & Saf. Code § 113758). Max fine for violation: $1,000 per day (Sec. 1.12.020).

Exceeding the client cap or generating unusual traffic is a home occupation violation under Section 18.43.110(C), and the code directs that a business found operating in violation must terminate immediately, on top of a citation and fine or any other Title 1 remedy. Title 1's general penalty section, 1.12.020, makes an uncorrected violation a misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail, counted per day.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Redding actively enforces its customer traffic restrictions requirements.

Signage Rules

Redding bans on-site advertising for any home occupation. Municipal Code Section 18.43.110(A)(13) allows only one narrow exception: a commercial vehicle already permitted at the residence may carry signage naming the business, but that sign cannot show the business address, and no other sign, banner, or advertising display is allowed anywhere on the property.

Key details: On-site advertising: Prohibited. Vehicle sign exception: Business name only, no address. Yard/window signs: Not allowed. Waiver available: No (disability review only). Max fine for violation: $1,000 per day (Sec. 1.12.020).

Posting a prohibited sign is a home occupation violation under Section 18.43.110(C), and the code directs the business to terminate immediately in addition to a citation and fine or any other legal remedy under Title 1. Title 1's general penalty, Section 1.12.020, makes an uncorrected violation a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or six months in jail, with each day a separate offense.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Redding actively enforces its signage rules requirements.

Home Daycare

Redding's zoning code lists family day care homes as an outright permitted use, not a conditional one, in every residential zoning district. Schedule 18.31.020-A designates both "Family Day Care, 6 or fewer" and "Family Day Care, 7-14" as "P" in the RE, RS and RM districts, and Schedule 18.30.020-A does the same for the RL rural-lands district.

Key details: Small family day care: 6 or fewer children, permitted (P). Large family day care: 7-14 children, permitted (P). Districts covered: RL, RE, RS, RM. Permit required: None, zoning table lists P. Larger daycare centers: Need use permit, Section 18.43.070.

Because family day care homes are a permitted "P" use, there is no zoning enforcement trigger for operating one in a house within a residential district. The city's role is limited to Chapter 18.25's general Title 18 enforcement authority for a use that departs from what the tables allow, such as a facility that in practice exceeds the twelve-child large-family ceiling and functions instead as an unpermitted daycare center under Section 18.43.070.

Redding is more permissive than most cities when it comes to home daycare. That said, there are still limits.

Zoning & Home Occupation Permits

Redding allows a home-based business in every residential zoning district, but only under Municipal Code Section 18.43.110's standards. The activity must produce no exterior evidence of a business, must stay inside an enclosed living area or the garage, and cannot occupy more than twenty-five percent of the dwelling's gross floor area. A business license through the city clerk is required before operating, and the applicant must sign a home occupation affidavit confirming they understand the standards.

Key details: Max floor area used: 25% of dwelling gross floor area. Permit required: Business license from city clerk. License lapses: After 6 months of no activity. Must commence: Within 1 year of license issuance. Appeal body: Board of Administrative Review.

Section 18.43.110(C) directs that enforcement can include a citation and fine or any other legal remedy under Title 1, and any business found operating in violation must terminate immediately. Title 1's general penalty section, 1.12.020, makes an uncorrected code violation a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, six months in county jail, or both, and treats each day the violation continues as a separate offense.

The Bottom Line

Redding is tougher than many cities when it comes to home business. Out of the 4 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Redding, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Redding can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.