Home Business in Santa Rosa, CA (2026)
4 verified home business rules for Santa Rosa, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning Restrictions
Under Santa Rosa Zoning Code Section 20-42.070, a home occupation is allowed in any residential zone only when it is clearly secondary to the primary residential use and will not change the residential character of the neighborhood. Several specific uses - including auto repair, kennels, pet grooming, animal hospitals, bee keeping, weapons or ammunition sales, welding shops, and woodworking or metal shops - are categorically prohibited as home occupations.
Home occupations subordinate to residential use; specific uses banned
Heavy RestrictionsCalifornia Government Code Section 51035 (AB 1616, Stats. 2012, Ch. 415, Sec. 2)
51035. (a) A city, county, or city and county shall not prohibit a cottage food operation, as defined in Section 113758 of the Health and Safety Code, in any residential dwellings, but shall do one of the following: (1) Classify a cottage food operation as a permitted use of residential property for zoning purposes. (2) Grant a nondiscretionary permit to use a residence as any cottage food oper...
Signage Rules
Per Santa Rosa Zoning Code Section 20-42.070, a home occupation must have no exterior signs except limited name identification allowed by Code. Citywide Chapter 20-38 (Signs) caps single-family residential signs at six square feet of area and six feet of height, and signs must sit at least five feet inside the property line.
No exterior signs for home occupations except limited nameplate
Heavy RestrictionsSanta Rosa Zoning Code Section 20-42.070 (Home Occupations) and Chapter 20-38 (Signs); City of Santa Rosa Sign Regulations page; Common Codes Enforced page
A Home Occupation in Santa Rosa must... have no exterior signs, except limited name identification allowed by Code. Most signs require a Sign Permit. A Sign Permit is needed when installing a new sign or replacing or modifying an existing sign. Prohibited signs include off-site signs (billboards), moving, flashing, or windblown signs, and signs that create safety hazards or obstruct visibility....
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Home businesses in Santa Rosa must limit customer visits to avoid excessive traffic in residential neighborhoods. Client visits should be infrequent and not disrupt neighbors.
Santa Rosa Home Business Customer Traffic Rules
Some RestrictionsHome Occupation Permits
Santa Rosa requires a Home Occupation review for any business operated from a residence under Zoning Code Section 20-42.070, with a Zoning Clearance for low-impact (exempt) home businesses and a Minor Conditional Use Permit (MUP) when there are client visits or non-resident employees. A separate citywide Business Tax Certificate from the Finance Department is also required for every home-based business.
Two-track Home Occupation permit under Zoning Code 20-42.070
Some RestrictionsSanta Rosa Zoning Code Section 20-42.070 (Home Occupations); City of Santa Rosa Planning & Economic Development - Home Business Permits page; City FAQ QID 431
If you want to run a business from your home in the City of Santa Rosa, you must file for a Home Occupation Permit. The business cannot generate noise, odor, dust, vibration, fumes, smoke or electrical interference; and it must be incidental to the use of your home as a residence. A Home Occupation in Santa Rosa must: be operated by someone who lives in the home; be clearly secondary to the hom...
Looking for Sonoma County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Santa Rosa city rules.
Home Business in Sonoma County →