Home Business in Decatur, AL (2026)
4 verified home business rules for Decatur, Alabama, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
In the City of Decatur, Alabama, a home occupation needs a building department permit before the revenue department will issue a business license. The applicant pays a nonrefundable $50.00 fee, signs a questionnaire, and stays off a 19-item prohibited list. The permit cannot be transferred to another address.
Home Occupation Permit and Zoning in Decatur, Alabama
Significant RestrictionsDecatur City Code § 25-146
Home occupation procedure: The granting of a home occupation permit by the building department may be obtained by submitting an application to the building director of the city on forms provided by them and providing such information as may be necessary for a determination that the request complies in all respects to the terms of this section. (1)Zoning verification required: The building direc...
Signage Rules
In the City of Decatur, Alabama, a home occupation cannot display any sign. Section 25-145(c) bars advertising, signage, display, or other evidence of the business on the residential lot or structure, and the building department can revoke the permit of a holder who ignores the rule.
Home Business Signs in Decatur, Alabama
Heavy RestrictionsDecatur City Code § 25-145
(c)There shall be no advertising, signage, display, or other evidence of the home occupation on the residential lot or structure.(d)There shall not be conducted on the premises the business of selling stocks of merchandise, supplies, or products.(e)There shall be no storage or display of goods visible from outside the structure where the home occupation is licensed.
Customer Traffic Restrictions
In the City of Decatur, Alabama, a home occupation is limited to one room, cannot use signage or display, and cannot sell stocks of merchandise from the premises. Only one merchandise sales party is allowed in each three successive months, and only commercial common carriers can deliver to the property. The code sets no numeric client-visit cap.
Decatur Home Occupation Traffic and Visitor Limits
Significant RestrictionsDecatur City Code § 25-145
(a)There shall be no more than one (1) room of the residential dwelling used for the home occupation, and the home occupation shall be conducted entirely in the residential dwelling.(b)No home occupation shall be permitted in any accessory building.(c)There shall be no advertising, signage, display, or other evidence of the home occupation on the residential lot or structure.(d)There shall not ...
Home Daycare
In the City of Decatur, Alabama, a home day care facility is a state-licensed family home caring for up to six children, or seven to twelve in a group home. In R-1, R-2, R-3, PRD, AG-1 and AG-2 it needs a use permitted on appeal from the board of zoning adjustment. No identification signs are allowed, and facilities must sit 500 feet apart on the same side of the street.
Decatur Home Day Care Zoning Requirements
Significant RestrictionsDecatur City Code § 25-94
(a)All day care homes and nighttime care homes for children shall be located in a single-family detached dwelling. Its use as a child care facility shall be clearly incidental to the use of the premises for dwelling purposes by the care giver and shall be carried on wholly within the main building, except for the play area.(b)Employment shall be limited to members of the family residing at the ...