Home Business in Amherst, NY (2026)
2 verified home business rules for Amherst, New York, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Amherst allows home occupations only as accessory to residential use under Zoning Ordinance § 6-8-6: no outside evidence of the business, visitor hours limited to 8 AM-9 PM, floor area capped at 15% of the ground floor, and Type 2 operations need a Zoning Board of Appeals special use permit renewed every two years.
Amherst Home Occupation Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsAmherst Zoning Ordinance § 6-8-6
Home Occupations. Where permitted as an accessory use in Part 3, a home occupation shall be subject to the following standards. A. General Standards. (1) A home occupation is that accessory use of a dwelling that shall constitute all or some portion of the livelihood of a person or persons living in the dwelling. The home occupation shall be incidental and subordinate to the use of the premises...
Signage Rules
A Type 1 Home Occupation in Amherst may carry no sign at all. A Type 2 Home Occupation, approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals, is limited to one unlighted sign of no more than two square feet, flat against the building, identifying the resident and the business, under Zoning Ordinance § 6-8-6B(2)(b).
Amherst Home Occupation Sign Limit
Significant RestrictionsAmherst Zoning Ordinance § 6-8-6B(2)(b)
No more than one unlighted sign not more than two square feet in size, identifying the resident and the business, attached flat against the building, shall be permitted. Such sign may be allowed in the required front yard along an arterial or collector street upon approval by the ZBA.
Looking for Erie County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Amherst city rules.
Home Business in Erie County →