York County, SC Business Licensing & Operations: Auto Repair on Residential Property (2026)

Home occupations are governed by Subpart 4.7 of the Land Development Code (§§ 155.670-155.676), which allows a business use "customarily conducted, incidental, and subordinate" to a dwelling if it meets the subpart's standards. Section 155.673 splits home occupations into large-lot (two acres or more) and small-lot (under two acres) categories, with small lots facing stricter standards. Section 155.674's Table 155.674-1 then lists which uses are allowed and which are barred outright: automotive repair carries an X in both the large-lot and small-lot columns, meaning the use is expressly prohibited as a home occupation no matter the lot size.

By contrast, the table allows "equipment repair and maintenance within an enclosed structure" as a large-lot home occupation only, showing the county drew a deliberate line between general equipment work and automotive repair. Section 155.674(B) also states that any home occupation use not listed in the table is presumed prohibited. A homeowner who wants to legally repair vehicles for pay must instead locate the business in a zoning district and use category that allows automotive repair as a principal commercial or industrial use, obtain the required home occupation permit process does not apply to that path, and go through standard commercial zoning compliance instead.

Every other lawful home occupation still needs an annual home occupation permit under § 155.671, renewed yearly with a fee, plus a site plan if any activity or storage happens outside a fully enclosed building on a large lot.