Home Business in Madison, WI (2026)
4 verified home business rules for Madison, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Madison lets residents run a home occupation inside their dwelling without a separate permit, but Sec. 28.151, MGO caps it tightly: only household members may work there, no on-site wholesaling or vehicle repair, and no more than 25% of one floor's area. Exceed any of these limits, outside employees, an accessory-building workshop, non-domestic equipment, and you need Plan Commission conditional-use approval first.
Madison Home Occupation Permit Standards
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 28.151 (Home Occupation)
(a)The occupation shall be conducted within a dwelling and not in an accessory building, unless authorized by the Plan Commission as a conditional use.(b)The occupation shall be clearly incidental and secondary to the principal use of the dwelling for dwelling purposes so as to protect the integrity and residential character of neighborhoods.(c)Only members of the immediate family residing on t...
Signage Rules
Madison restricts home-business signage to almost nothing: Sec. 28.151(l), MGO says the only exterior sign a home occupation may display is a non-illuminated nameplate no larger than two square feet. Everything else, window displays, illuminated signs, banners, larger placards, is off the table for a home business operating under the home occupation standards.
Madison Home Business Nameplate Sign Limit
Light RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 28.151(l) (Home Occupation)
(l)The only exterior indication of the home occupation shall be a non-illuminated nameplate a maximum of two (2) square feet in area.(m)A home occupation of an individual with a disability, who is incapable of employment outside the home by reason of significant physical or mental disability, as verified by a signed physician statement verifying the disability, is exempt from the requirements o...
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Madison's home occupation standard keeps client-facing activity minimal: no on-site wholesaling, manufacturing, limousine, towing or auto-repair business, no products sold except those made on the premises, and no exterior sign beyond a two-square-foot nameplate, under MGO § 28.151.
Madison Home Occupation Customer Rules
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 28.151
(b)The occupation shall be clearly incidental and secondary to the principal use of the dwelling for dwelling purposes so as to protect the integrity and residential character of neighborhoods.(c)Only members of the immediate family residing on the premises or occupants of the dwelling may be employed, unless authorized by the Plan Commission as a conditional use.(e)A home occupation shall not ...
Home Daycare
Madison family daycare homes (up to 8 children) are allowed as a home occupation in residential zones with state licensing through WI DCF. Group daycare homes (9-12 children) require conditional use approval under MGO Chapter 28.
Home Business: Daycare Home
Some RestrictionsWis. Admin. Code DCF ch. 251 (licensing rules for group child care centers)
DCF 251.01 Authority and purpose. DCF 251.02 Applicability. DCF 251.03 Definitions. DCF 251.04 Operational requirements. DCF 251.05 Staff. DCF 251.055 Supervision and grouping of children. DCF 251.06 Physical plant and equipment. DCF 251.07 Program. DCF 251.08 Transportation. DCF 251.09 Additional requirements for infant and toddler care. DCF 251.094 Staff in school-age programs. DCF 251.095 Ad...
Looking for Dane County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Madison city rules.
Home Business in Dane County →