Home Business in Tempe, AZ (2026)
4 verified home business rules for Tempe, Arizona, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Tempe allows a home occupation in any residential dwelling as an accessory use, but only by meeting a fixed list of protective standards rather than through a discretionary permit. Zoning and Development Code Section 3-412 makes any deviation from those standards itself a Code violation.
Tempe Home Occupation Zoning Standards
Some RestrictionsTempe Zoning and Development Code § 3-412(A)-(B)
A.Purpose. Home occupation allows small commercial ventures for which the leasing of commercial quarters is not cost effective and which, by the nature of the venture, are appropriate in scale and impact to be operated within a residence.B.Applicability. Home occupations are permitted in all residential dwellings as an accessory use (see Section 7-102 for definition), subject to any of the foll...
Signage Rules
A Tempe home occupation can post only one sign type. Section 3-412(B)(4) of the Zoning and Development Code restricts home-business signage to 'Sign Type B' under the City's master sign standards in Section 4-903, ruling out storefront-style signs, banners or freestanding pole signs.
Tempe Home Business Sign Limits
Light RestrictionsTempe Zoning and Development Code § 3-412(B)(4)
4.Signs. Home occupations shall comply with Section 4-903 and are limited to Sign Type B.
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Home occupations in Tempe may host only one client or customer vehicle on the property at a time, and clients can visit only between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Zoning and Development Code Section 3-412(B)(5)(c) and (B)(6) set both limits, and extending the hours requires a discretionary use permit.
Tempe Home Business Client Traffic Limits
Some RestrictionsTempe Zoning and Development Code § 3-412(B)(5)(c), (B)(6)
c.There shall be no more than one (1) client or customer vehicle on the premises at any one (1) time and the activity shall not generate traffic beyond that normal in its district. ... 6.Business Hours. Clients or customers are permitted at the home occupation from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. only. Additional hours of operation for such use shall require the approval of a use permit.
Home Daycare
Tempe allows in-home child care for up to six children with special-standard approval and a certificate of occupancy in most residential districts, but caring for seven to ten children steps up to a discretionary use permit under the same Section 3-407 standards.
Tempe Home Daycare Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsTempe Zoning and Development Code § 3-407
A.License and Certified. Licensed, certified or approved by the State of Arizona;B.Administrative Review. Such home must be reviewed and approved and have a certificate of occupancy issued for the use by the Community Development Director, or designee, for building codes (including pool fence requirements) and land use code compliance prior to use commencing; See Arizona Revised Statutes, Divis...
Looking for Maricopa County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Tempe city rules.
Home Business in Maricopa County →