Home Business in Nashville, TN (2026)
4 verified home business rules for Nashville, Tennessee, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Metro Nashville requires a zoning permit for home businesses that see customers or employ a non-resident worker, capping floor area, employee count, and customer visits under Metropolitan Code § 17.16.250.D.
Nashville Home Occupation Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 17.16.250.D
A home occupation must be conducted entirely within the dwelling unit or accessory building. ... Home occupations that meet both of the following conditions are not required to acquire a permit for activity under this section: i. The home occupation does not serve customers on the property; and ii. The home occupation does not employ anyone who does not live within the dwelling.
Signage Rules
Metro Nashville bans exterior signage entirely for home occupations: any sign, product display, or exterior clue that a dwelling is used for business voids the residential character requirement and violates the home occupation permit.
Nashville Home Business Sign Ban
Heavy RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 17.16.250(D)(4)(a)
Signs, as defined in Section 17.32.030.B, exterior or interior displays of goods visible from the outside, or any exhibit that would indicate the dwelling unit or accessory building is being used for any purpose other than a residence are prohibited.
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Metro Nashville caps home-business customer visits to three per hour and six per day, allowed only by scheduled appointment between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Nashville Home Business Client Visit Limits
Some RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 17.16.250.D.3
Customer visits must occur by scheduled appointment and only between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Customer visits shall be limited to no more than three visits per hour and a maximum of six total visits per day. The permit holder shall maintain and make available to the codes department a log or register of customer appointments for each calendar year.
Home Daycare
Metro Nashville splits home daycare by headcount: 5-7 kids is a small day care home needing conditions review, 8-12 is a large one needing a special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Nashville Home Daycare Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 17.16.170(D); definitions at § 17.04.060
D. Day Care Home—Large. 1. The day care home shall only be permitted in an occupied residence or accessory to another institutional use... 4. Spacing. Regardless of classification, no day care center or day care home shall locate on the same street block face or on an opposing street block face. Where a block face is over one thousand feet in length, no day care center or day care home shall lo...