Home Business in Bakersfield, CA (2026)
4 verified home business rules for Bakersfield, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Bakersfield confines home occupations to an accessory, incidental use of a residence: the business must stay invisible to neighbors, fit entirely inside an enclosed area of the house or accessory structure, and cannot exceed 400 square feet. Bakersfield Municipal Code § 17.63.030(K) bars any encroachment into required parking, setback, or open-space areas, keeping the property looking residential.
Bakersfield Home Occupation Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code § 17.63.030(K)
The home occupation shall be conducted entirely within an enclosed area of the residence or accessory structure, and shall not encroach into any required parking, setback, or open space areas. It shall not involve the use of more than four hundred square feet of the premises, not including a vehicle meeting the criteria of subsection C of this section.
Signage Rules
Bakersfield bars any sign advertising a home occupation. Bakersfield Municipal Code § 17.63.030(A) allows only a sign with the resident's address or name, under the same rules that govern residential-zone signage generally: no business name, logo, or service description may be displayed at the property.
Bakersfield Home Business Sign Ban
Heavy RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code § 17.63.030(A)
A. Signs referring to the business are not permitted; however, signs containing the address of the home or name of the residents are permitted according to the requirements for signs within residential zones.
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Bakersfield's home-occupation chapter bars any noise or pedestrian and vehicular traffic from a home business that disturbs the neighborhood's peace. Bakersfield Municipal Code § 17.63.030(E) treats nuisance-level traffic generated by a home occupation as a standards violation, giving the planning director grounds to deny or revoke the underlying permit.
Bakersfield Home Business Traffic Nuisance Ban
Some RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code § 17.63.030(E)
E. Noise, pedestrian or vehicular traffic, or other activity that constitutes a nuisance or disturbance of the peace of any person shall not be produced or made at the residence in connection with the home occupation.
Home Daycare
Bakersfield treats licensed family daycare homes as residential uses under California Health & Safety Code 1597.40, meaning they are allowed in every residential zone without special city approval. Small homes serve up to 8 children and large homes serve up to 14, following state ratios. The city cannot require a conditional use permit, business license tax surcharge, or impose parking or spacing standards beyond what applies to any single-family dwelling. State licensing through Community Care Licensing (CCL) is mandatory, and operators must carry liability insurance and comply with state fire clearance for large homes.
Home Daycare Rules in Bakersfield
Light RestrictionsCal. Health & Safety Code § 1597.40(a)–(b)
It is the intent of the Legislature that family daycare homes for children should be situated in normal residential surroundings so as to give children the home environment that is conducive to healthy and safe development. It is the public policy of this state to provide children in a family daycare home the same home environment as provided in a traditional home setting. The Legislature decla...
Looking for Kern County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Bakersfield city rules.
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