Home Business in Fort Smith, AR (2026)
4 verified home business rules for Fort Smith, Arkansas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Fort Smith requires planning commission approval for any home business, with notice to neighbors within 300 feet and authority to condition, limit or deny the license.
Fort Smith Home Occupation Permit
Significant RestrictionsFort Smith City Code § 27-338-1
A licensed home occupation allows the resident to operate minimal business activities or offer limited professional services from the resident's home. In granting a request for home occupation license, the planning commission may condition and limit the license as necessary to preserve the spirit and intent of this section and controlling law.B.Intent. Home occupations, as allowed by this secti...
Signage Rules
Fort Smith bars any sign for a licensed home occupation, so home-based businesses cannot advertise with on-site signage.
Fort Smith Home Business Sign Ban
Significant RestrictionsFort Smith City Code § 27-338-4F.3
3.No sign may be used in the operation of the business.4.No outdoor display of any goods or services and no outdoor storage of materials or equipment are allowed.
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Fort Smith limits home occupation client visits to appointment-only, capping any home-based business at two patrons on site at once.
Fort Smith Home Occupation Client Limit
Some RestrictionsFort Smith City Code § 27-338-4F.7
7.Any business conducted on the premises shall be by appointment only, such that no more than two patrons shall be at the business at any one time.8.The planning commission shall have the authority to limit the operating hours of a business where it deems it necessary in order to ensure compatibility with the residential neighborhood.G.Determination. The planning commission shall then make one ...
Home Daycare
Fort Smith requires a conditional use permit for home day cares serving six to 12 children, capping outside staff at one employee who must park on-site.
Fort Smith Home Day Care Zoning Rules
Significant RestrictionsFort Smith City Code § 27-706
The term "day care home, six to 12 children," shall mean a child care service, licensed by the state, in a single-family home that is the full-time residence of the caregiver, which cares for a limited number of children who are apart from their own family during a part of the day. These regulations shall apply to all day care homes: 1.Day care homes are limited to the zoning districts sp...
Looking for Sebastian County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fort Smith city rules.
Home Business in Sebastian County →