Franklin County, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Auto Repair on Residential Property (2026)
Key Facts
- Vehicles at a time
- One
- Painting
- Not permitted
- Vehicle ownership requirement
- Registered to occupant or immediate family
- Allowed hours
- 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Location
- Driveway, garage, or screened area only
- Commercial repair businesses
- Prohibited on residential premises
Summary
In unincorporated Franklin County, you can service, repair or restore a vehicle at home in any residential zone, but only one vehicle at a time, only your own or family's registered vehicle, no painting, and only between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
C.Vehicle Repair on Private Property on Residential Premises. Servicing, repairing, assembling, modifying, restoring, or otherwise working on any vehicle on any residential premises in any residential zoning district shall be subject to the following:1.Work shall be limited to the repair and maintenance of vehicles, equipment, or other conveyance (painting is not permitted) and is currently registered (by the state) to the occupant or a member of the occupant's family, which shall be limited to parents, grandparents, spouse, or children related by blood, marriage or adoption. This limitation prohibits auto repair on residential premises by any commercial entity.2.Such work shall be conducted on no more than one vehicle at any one time.3.Such work shall only be done on residential driveways (or designated parking area), within an enclosed building (such as a garage) or in an area which is screened from public view. ... 5.Such work shall be done only between the hours of six a.m. and ten p.m.
Full Breakdown
260(C) governs vehicle repair on private property on residential premises across every residential zoning district. Work is limited to repair and maintenance, painting is explicitly not permitted, and the vehicle worked on must be currently registered to the occupant or an immediate family member, defined as parents, grandparents, spouse, or children related by blood, marriage or adoption. That family-registration requirement is what shuts the door on commercial auto repair operating out of a residence: the section says outright that it prohibits auto repair on residential premises by any commercial entity.
No more than one vehicle may be worked on at any one time, and the work has to happen on the residential driveway, a designated parking area, inside an enclosed building like a garage, or in an area screened from public view; it cannot be done in the public right-of-way. m. Parts, equipment and supplies needed for the repair must be stored in an enclosed structure while on the premises, and once work is finished, the property has to be cleaned of all debris, oil, grease, gasoline, rags and materials used in the job, left in a condition that poses no hazard to persons or property.
Waste products generated by the repair must be disposed of in an appropriate location and manner, tying the home-repair allowance to the county's broader nuisance and hazardous-waste standards under Title 8.
Violations & Fines
Repairing more than one vehicle at a time, painting a vehicle at a residence, working on a vehicle not registered to the occupant or immediate family, working outside the permitted 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. window, or working in the public right-of-way all violate § 17.66.260(C). Running a commercial auto repair business from a residential property is expressly prohibited regardless of these conditions, and violations are enforced through the county's standard code enforcement process for unpermitted or noncompliant accessory uses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fix my own car in my driveway in unincorporated Franklin County?
Can I run an auto repair business out of my house?
What do I have to do with old parts and oil after a home repair job?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin County
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