5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Johnson County, Iowa.
Verified from official government sources
Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty allow a home occupation as an accessory use in residential zones. The business stays secondary to living in the home, run by residents, with no outward evidence of commercial activity.
A home occupation in Iowa City, Coralville, or North Liberty may not advertise with exterior signs. Nothing visible from the street may show a business operates inside, keeping residential blocks free of commercial display.
A home occupation in Johnson County's cities may not generate customer or delivery traffic beyond normal residential levels. Walk-in retail is barred, and any client parking must stay off the street.
Iowa lets you sell many shelf-stable homemade foods with no license under its cottage-food exemption. Foods needing refrigeration require a home food processing establishment license from the state, administered through Iowa DIAL.
Caring for more than five children for pay in a Johnson County home requires registration with Iowa HHS as a child development home under Iowa Code chapter 237A. Cities add only zoning review.
1 cities in Johnson County have their own home business rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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Johnson County Ordinance Hub →