Roseville, MN Business Licensing & Operations: Auto Repair on Residential Property (2026)

Home occupations are allowed in Roseville residential districts, but § 1011.12(b)(3) fences them in with standards, and auto repair does not make it through. Paragraph l prohibits, as home occupations, wholesale or retail business unless conducted entirely by mail or internet, any manufacturing, welding, machine shop or similar use, motor vehicle repair, the sale or transfer of firearms or ammunition, and headquarters or dispatch centers. The zoning definitions in § 1001.07 describe motor vehicle repair as the repair or replacement of any part, with examples such as the engine head or pan, transmission or differential, rebuilding or reconditioning of engines, bodywork, framework, welding, painting and upholstering, for passenger vehicles and trucks not exceeding three-quarter-ton capacity. A separate "Motor vehicle repair, large" definition covers commercial vehicles and large machinery.

The other home occupation limits close off the garage route too. Paragraph c holds a home occupation to no more than 30 percent of the floor area of the dwelling, to a maximum of 600 square feet, conducted entirely within the dwelling, and an accessory building such as a detached garage shall not be used in the operation of a home occupation. Paragraph e bars outside storage of products, materials or equipment, and paragraph i bars noise, odors, smoke, heat, glare, vibration or electrical interference at the lot boundary.

Other conditions apply to the businesses that are allowed. All new home occupations as of January 1, 2011 must register annually with the city on a form from the community development department, with a fee set by the City Council. Only residents plus no more than one nonresident employee can work on the premises at one time, required off-street parking cannot be reduced, and signs follow chapter 1010. Paragraph j requires compliance with fire and building codes and other city, state and federal rules.