Arlington Heights, IL: Auto Repair on Residential Property (2026)
Key Facts
- Status
- Outright prohibited, not just unlisted
- Governing section
- Zoning Code § 6.16-3(c)
- Special Use route
- Not available, use is specifically listed
- Alternative
- Requires commercial/industrial zoning
Summary
Arlington Heights, Illinois flatly bans motor vehicle repair as a home occupation. Section 6.16-3(c) of the Zoning Code lists it among the uses that can never qualify as an accessory home business, no matter how small the operation or how it is otherwise run out of a residence.
6.16-3Prohibited Home Occupations.a.Catering services;b.Barber shop and beauty salon;c.Motor vehicle repair;d.Restaurants, tea rooms;e.Commercial stables, kennels.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 3 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
16-3 sets out "Prohibited Home Occupations," a five-item list that excludes certain businesses from home occupation status entirely rather than merely regulating them: (a) catering services; (b) barber shop and beauty salon; (c) motor vehicle repair; (d) restaurants, tea rooms; and (e) commercial stables, kennels. 16-1. 16-4 does allow the Village to consider an unlisted use for a Special Use Permit, but that route is only available for occupations that are "not specifically listed as permitted or prohibited"; motor vehicle repair is specifically listed as prohibited, so it falls outside that discretionary path.
Anyone wanting to run an auto repair operation in Arlington Heights needs a commercial or industrial zoning district location and the appropriate business license, not a home-based approval.
Violations & Fines
Operating a motor vehicle repair business from a residence in Arlington Heights is a Zoning Code violation from the outset because Section 6.16-3(c) bars it as a home occupation category, not merely as an unpermitted use. The Director of Planning and Community Development can order the use discontinued, and it is not eligible for cure through the Special Use Permit process available to unlisted home occupations under Section 6.16-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fix cars for money out of my Arlington Heights home garage?
Can I apply for a Special Use Permit to run auto repair from home?
Where can I legally operate an auto repair business in Arlington Heights?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington Heights
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