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

Any home-based business in Redlands, including auto repair, must first obtain a home occupation permit from the planning department by filing a signed application and paying the fee set by the city council (Section 18.160.030). The community development director then reviews the request against the criteria in Section 18.160.020 and issues a written decision that can include conditions of approval or a denial (Section 18.160.050). For a home auto repair operation, three of those criteria are decisive. Subsection B bars "material or equipment...not recognized as being part of the normal practices in the residential district," which reaches diagnostic scanners, lifts, air compressors and similar shop equipment.

Subsection H bars any "accessory building or space outside of the main building" from being used for the occupation and flatly states that "no outdoor storage, including the storage or parking of vehicles associated with the use, shall be permitted," ruling out working on customer cars in a driveway or side yard. Subsection G caps the space used inside the house to ten percent of the dwelling's square footage or one room, whichever is less, though it does allow the garage if that use "does not obstruct required parking." A home occupation permit is only valid for one year, must be renewed annually alongside the city business license (Section 18.160.080), and is not valid at all until a city business license is issued (Section 18.160.020(L)). The planning commission may void the permit outright for noncompliance with any approved condition (Section 18.160.090).