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Nashville, TN Business Licensing & Operations: Auto Repair on Residential Property (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Banned activity
auto/transportation equipment repair
Also banned
outdoor equipment repair
Applies
citywide, all zoning districts
Fine
$50 per day, per violation
Enforced by
Metro codes department

Summary

Metro Nashville's zoning code bars auto repair as a home occupation outright: repairing automobiles or other transportation equipment from your house is never a permitted home business, permit or not.

c. The following are not permitted as home occupations regardless of whether customer visits are allowed: i. The manufacture or repair of automobiles and other transportation equipment. ii. The repair of equipment that takes place outdoors.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53 | Charter: Republication 9).

Full Breakdown

Under the home-occupation rules for residential accessory uses, Metro's zoning code lists activities that are never allowed as a home occupation regardless of whether the operator holds a permit or takes customer visits. The manufacture or repair of automobiles and other transportation equipment is flatly excluded, alongside any equipment repair performed outdoors. This sits in the same subsection that lets other home businesses (personal instruction, general office, personal care, artisan manufacturing) qualify for a codes department permit: auto repair was written out of that list entirely, citywide, in every zoning district.

Violations & Fines

Home occupation permit violations under this subsection draw a $50-per-day fine per violation, and a permit can be revoked once two verified complaints are filed against it in a calendar year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a home occupation permit for a car repair business in Nashville?
No. Metro's zoning code specifically excludes automobile and transportation equipment repair from the list of allowable home occupations, regardless of permit status or customer visits.
What if I only work on cars in my driveway occasionally?
Outdoor equipment repair is separately and explicitly barred as a home occupation, so working outdoors doesn't create an exception: it's still prohibited under the same code section.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Nashville

Noise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsTowing CompaniesSome RestrictionsAdult EntertainmentSignificant RestrictionsTobacco Retail LicenseFew RestrictionsSecondhand DealersSome RestrictionsPawnbrokersSignificant RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor SoundSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Towing & Impound RightsSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Curb Color RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome Restrictions

All Nashville rules

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