Home Business in Gaithersburg, MD (2026)
4 verified home business rules for Gaithersburg, Maryland, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Gaithersburg permits home-based businesses under section 24-5.5 as either a no impact, minor impact, or material impact use, with permit requirements scaling from simple registration to a board of appeals special exception. Every home business is capped at one-third of the property's total floor area, needs a city license before opening, and cannot be a cannabis business or a short-term rental.
Gaithersburg Home-Based Business Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsGaithersburg City Code § 24-5.5
(B)Standards and requirements. No home-based business shall be permitted to operate unless such operation complies with the following requirements:...(8)The home-based business shall not occupy more than one-third (⅓) of the gross floor area of all structures and accessory structures on the lot....(13)A home-based business shall not commence operation until a license has been issued by the city...
Signage Rules
A Gaithersburg home-based business may display exactly one non-illuminated, permanent building sign, capped at 9 inches by 12 inches and 0.75 square feet, and it cannot protrude more than 2 inches from the wall. Section 24-5.5(E) requires the sign to face a public street or entrance and be installed under the city's sign permit process.
Gaithersburg Home Business Sign Rules
Some RestrictionsGaithersburg City Code § 24-5.5(E)
(E)Signage standards. To preserve the residential character of a home-based business, the following regulations apply to a sign installed on a property with a home-based business use, and modify the provisions of article 8, Signage Standards:(1)A home-based business use may display only one non-illuminated permanent building sign at the premises.(2)Such a sign must not exceed nine (9) inches by...
Customer Traffic Restrictions
A Gaithersburg home business classified as minor impact may host no more than 20 client, customer or business-associate visits per week, counted per stopping vehicle, and no more than one non-resident employee. Exceeding either limit pushes the business into the material impact category, which requires a special exception from the board of appeals instead of simple city registration.
Gaithersburg Home Business Client Visit Limits
Some RestrictionsGaithersburg City Code § 24-5.5(C)(2)
(2)Minor impact home-based business. Operating limitations:(a)Not more than one non-resident employee is permitted; and(b)Not more than twenty (20) visits shall be allowed per week where a "visit" is defined as a stop at the business premises by one automobile transporting one or more clients, customers, or business associates; A visit does not include the operator of a business, member of thei...
Home Daycare
Gaithersburg zones small family day care as a by-right accessory use in every residential district, permitted by right in single-family, duplex, townhouse and stacked dwellings under Table 24-3.1-1. Large family day care needs a special exception from the board of appeals in every residential zone. Both classifications must follow the home-based-business signage standards under section 24-5.4.
Gaithersburg Family Day Care Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsGaithersburg City Code § 24-3.1, Table 24-3.1-1; § 24-5.4
Day care, large family (4) Section 24-5.4 Ⓢ Ⓢ Ⓢ Ⓢ Ⓢ Ⓢ Ⓢ Ⓢ Day care, small family (5) Section 24-5.4 ● ● ● ● ●/Ⓢ ●/Ⓢ ●/Ⓢ ●/Ⓢ ... (4) Accessory use only. Prohibited in all multifamily attached, triplex, quadplex, and all live/work dwellings. (5) Accessory use only. Permitted by-right in all single-family detached, duplex, townhouse, and stacked dwellings. Special exception in all multifamily ...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Gaithersburg city rules.
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