Home Business in Daly City, CA (2026)
6 verified home business rules for Daly City, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning Restrictions
Under DCMC Chapter 17.36, a home occupation must be clearly secondary to the dwelling, confined to one room no larger than one-fourth of one floor, and conducted so 'the average neighbor, under normal circumstances, would not be aware of its existence.' Garages, accessory buildings, and open space are off limits, and a long list of occupations is excluded outright.
Home occupation must stay invisible and secondary to the home
Heavy RestrictionsCity of Daly City Home Occupation Permit Application (Planning Division); Daly City Municipal Code Secs. 17.36.020-17.36.040
I know that the existence of my home occupation can not be evident from outside the dwelling nor shall my home occupation create a nuisance detectable to the normal senses beyond my property lines or beyond the walls of my home. I cannot use my garage or an accessory building (e.g., "storage shed") to conduct my home occupation. Storage of items is permissible so long as a parking space is not ...
Signage Rules
Daly City bans all signs and displays advertising a home occupation. Applicants must sign an acknowledgment stating they cannot install any sign on their home or yard, because the business may not be evident from outside the dwelling.
No signs of any kind for Daly City home businesses
Heavy RestrictionsCity of Daly City Home Occupation Permit Application (Planning Division); Daly City Municipal Code Sec. 17.36.030(F)(3)
I know that the existence of my home occupation can not be evident from outside the dwelling nor shall my home occupation create a nuisance detectable to the normal senses beyond my property lines or beyond the walls of my home. ... I cannot have any signs installed on my home or yard that advertise my home occupation.
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Daly City prohibits customer or goods pickup and deliveries at a home business, bars employees from reporting to the house, limits traffic to no more than one additional vehicle per hour, and allows service occupations such as tutoring or tax preparation only one customer or student at a time.
No customer pickups or deliveries at Daly City homes
Heavy RestrictionsCity of Daly City Home Occupation Permit Application (Planning Division); Daly City Municipal Code Sec. 17.36.030(F)-(G)
If I have employees, they cannot report to my house for work. We will meet at the jobsite instead. I cannot have customers pickup up things from my house or and/or make deliveries to my house. I cannot use more than one vehicle to conduct my home occupation and that vehicle cannot be longer than my driveway or have a payload over three-quarters of one ton.
Cottage Food Operations
Daly City's zoning excludes general 'food preparation' as a home occupation, but state law overrides: residents can run a county-permitted Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) or a state cottage food operation. DCMC Sec. 17.36.020 expressly removes MEHKOs from the home occupation rules, deferring to state and San Mateo County permitting.
Home food sales go through San Mateo County MEHKO program
Some RestrictionsCity of Daly City - MEHKO program page; DCMC Sec. 17.36.020; Cal. Health & Safety Code Sec. 113825
Recently approved legislation allows home-based San Mateo County chefs to operate food facilities (i.e., Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation - MEHKO) from their home kitchens. The program is available to San Mateo County residents living in private homes equipped with a kitchen who are locally licensed and have been issued an operating permit from San Mateo County's Environmental Health Serv...
Home Daycare
California Health and Safety Code Sec. 1597.45 (SB 234) makes small (up to 8 children) and large (up to 14 children) family daycare homes a residential use by right, so Daly City cannot require a home occupation or use permit, or impose a business license, fee, or tax, for operating a licensed family daycare home.
Family daycare homes are residential use by right under state law
Few RestrictionsCal. Health & Safety Code Sec. 1597.45
The use of a home as a small or large family daycare home shall be considered a residential use of property and a use by right for the purposes of all local ordinances, including, but not limited to, zoning ordinances. ... A local jurisdiction shall not impose a business license, fee, or tax for the privilege of operating a small or large family daycare home.
Home Occupation Permits
Every Daly City resident who runs a business from home must obtain both a Home Occupation Permit (reviewed by the Planning Division) and a city business license (issued by the Finance Department). The HOP fee is $104.00 and the minimum new business license tax is $114.00; both the permit and the license must be renewed annually.
Home Occupation Permit and business license both required
Some RestrictionsCity of Daly City, Home Occupation Permit (Building Division); Daly City Municipal Code Sec. 17.36.050 (Issuance)
All Daly City residents desiring to conduct a business in their home must first obtain a Home Occupation Permit. Home occupations that do not create objectionable impacts to the neighborhood are generally allowed. Certain home occupations, such as firearm sales, animal boarding, and vehicle repair are not allowed. Prior to submitting a request for a Home Occupation Permit, the City requires tha...
Looking for San Mateo County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Daly City city rules.
Home Business in San Mateo County →