Houston County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Auto Repair on Residential Property (2026)

Section 95.4 of the Comprehensive Land Development Regulations sets the standards for a "Home Business," defined as a small office or small-scale retail or service use that is clearly incidental to the residential use of the dwelling. Section 95.4.1 lists what qualifies: a one-chair beauty shop or barber shop, minor repair shops, home day care, or retail sale of goods produced on-site. Section 95.4.2 then draws the line: home businesses cannot include repair or maintenance of motor vehicles, large-scale manufacturing, cabinet or furniture shops, or any use creating noise, noxious odors, or a hazard, and it separately bars any home business that would require a federal Alcohol, Tobacco or Firearms license.

Beyond the outright ban on auto repair, a lawful home business still has to meet the rest of Section 95.4: the practitioner must be a bona fide resident of the dwelling per 95.4.4, the work area must be fully enclosed so it is not visible from neighboring property per 95.4.5, and the operator may park only one commercial vehicle, limited to a passenger car, van, or light truck up to one-ton capacity, in the approved parking area under 95.4.8. Separately, anyone doing business, including a home-based one, in unincorporated Houston County has to register and pay the county's occupation tax under Sec. 18-1 of the County Code, with the registration displayed conspicuously at the business location.