5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Durham County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Durham's Unified Development Ordinance allows home occupations in residences citywide and in the unincorporated county, but the business must be clearly incidental to the home and may use no more than 30 percent of the livable floor area.
Durham UDO Section 5.4.4(10b)
Home occupation will be clearly incidental to the primary use as a residence. The total home occupation square footage will not exceed 30 percent of the area of the livable portion of the dwelling.
Durham's UDO allows a home occupation only one wall sign, limited to 3 square feet, and no separate sign permit is required. There may be no display of goods, products, or services visible from off site.
Durham UDO Section 5.4.4(13)
One wall sign limited to 3 square feet is allowed. A separate Sign Permit is not required (UDO Section 11.4).
Durham's home-occupation ordinance lets residents sell only handmade items, foodstuffs, and crafts made on the premises directly for sale. Reselling bought goods is prohibited, and no hazardous materials may be processed at home.
Durham UDO Section 5.4.4(2)
Only handmade items, foodstuffs, and crafts made on the premises will be offered directly for sale.
Durham's UDO permits child-care and instructional home occupations, but tutoring or instructional services may have no more than five students at one time. Outdoor recreation areas for in-home child-care centers are specifically allowed.
Durham UDO Section 5.4.4(14)
Tutoring or instructional services shall have no more than five students at one time.
Durham requires a Home Occupation Permit to run a business from a residence. Only people living on the premises plus up to one nonresident employee may work in the business, and the permit is not transferable.
Durham UDO Section 5.4.4(9)
Only persons residing on the premises and up to one nonresident employee may be engaged in the home occupation.
1 cities in Durham County have their own home business rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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