Inglewood, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Auto Repair on Residential Property (2026)

Section 12-17.1, Home Occupation Prohibitions, lists the activities that can never qualify as a lawful home occupation under Article 1.2 of the Zoning Code, no matter how the operator structures the business. Subsection (a) is explicit: 'Vehicle servicing, repair, washing or storage, including, but not limited to, cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles or bicycles' is prohibited outright, placing it in the same category as manufacturing or assembly of appliances or furniture (b), carpentry, plumbing or electrical contracting with materials or commercial vehicles kept on-site (c), machine or cabinetry shops (d), and food manufacturing or catering (e).

Because Section 12-17.3 makes conducting any prohibited home occupation unlawful outright, and Section 12-17.4's application process evaluates only 'nonprohibited' activities, a resident cannot obtain Planning and Building Department authorization for a home auto repair operation under any circumstances: the questionnaire and Business Tax Certificate process in Section 12-17.4 simply is not available for a Section 12-17.1 activity. Legitimate automobile repair in Inglewood instead has to locate on a properly zoned commercial or manufacturing site and separately comply with Section 12-16.6, which requires a Special Use Permit in the C-3, C-S, M-1 or M-2 zones, bans repair facilities outright in the C-1, C-2 and C-2A zones, and mandates a five-hundred-foot separation from any other licensed repair facility, fully enclosed service bays, and a minimum six-foot decorative wall on interior side and rear lot lines.