Home Business in Merced, CA (2026)
4 verified home business rules for Merced, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Merced splits home-based businesses into 'minor' and 'major' home occupations under Chapter 20.48. A minor home occupation, limited to phone, computer, mail, and delivery-service work with no client visits, is permitted by right with just a certificate and business license. A major home occupation needs a Site Plan Review Permit and public hearing, or a minor use permit for a cottage food operation.
Merced Home Occupation Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsMerced, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 20.48.030 (Permits Required)
A.Minor Home Occupation. A minor home occupation that complies with this chapter is permitted by-right. No special permits or approvals from the Planning Division are required to establish or operate a minor home occupation, except a home occupation certificate and a city business license.B.Major Home Occupation.1.Minor Use Permit. A minor use permit shall be required to establish or operate a ...
Signage Rules
A Merced home occupation may display exactly one sign: a single, non-illuminated, wall-mounted sign no larger than one square foot. The code also bars newspaper, radio, or TV ads that reveal the business's street address, though a phone number or email address is allowed, and product window displays are prohibited outright.
Merced Home Occupation Sign Limits
Some RestrictionsMerced, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 20.48.040(A)(3)-(4)
3.Advertising. No newspaper, radio, or television service shall be used to advertise the location of business; however, contact information, including phone numbers and email address (but not the location address), shall be allowed on such advertisements.4.Signs. One (1) single, non-illuminated, wall-mounted outdoor sign of not more than one (1) square foot in area is permitted.
Customer Traffic Restrictions
A minor home occupation in Merced cannot receive any clients or customers at all. A major home occupation may host up to six clients per day, but only between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, unless the site plan review committee approves otherwise. Every home occupation is also capped at two business-related vehicles parked in the neighborhood.
Merced Home Business Client Visit Limits
Some RestrictionsMerced, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 20.48.040(A)(5), (B)(2), (C)(2)
5.Vehicle Traffic. A home occupation shall not generate vehicle traffic greater than normally associated with a residential use. No more than two (2) vehicles associated with the business shall be parked in the immediate neighborhood. [...] B.2.Clients. No clients or customers are permitted to visit a minor home occupation. [...] C.2.Clients. Not more than six (6) clients per day may visit a ma...
Home Daycare
Family day care homes for up to 14 children are a permitted use by right in every one of Merced's residential zoning districts. City code lists both small (1-8 children) and large (9-14 children) home day care facilities as flatly permitted in R-R, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-MH zones, no minor, conditional or site plan review permit required.
Merced Home Day Care Zoning Rules
Few RestrictionsMerced, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 20.08.020, Table 20.08-1 (Permitted Land Uses in the Residential Zoning Districts)
P Permitted Use R-R R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 R-MH ... Day Care Home Facilities, Small (1-8 children) P P P P P P Day Care Home Facilities, Large (9-14 children) P P P P P P
Looking for Merced County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Merced city rules.
Home Business in Merced County →