Home Business in Knox County, TN (2026)
4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Knox County, Tennessee.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Knox County allows home occupations in residential zones only if no non-resident works there, no more than 25% of the dwelling's floor area is used, there is no outdoor storage or change to the building's appearance, and the business is conducted in the house, not an accessory building.
Home Business Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsKnox County Zoning Ordinance 4.90.01
No person other than household members residing on the premises shall be engaged in such occupation. Not more than twenty-five (25) percent of the floor area of the dwelling unit shall be used in the conduct of the home occupation. No home occupation shall be conducted in any accessory building.
Signage Rules
A home business sign in unincorporated Knox County is capped at two square feet and has to sit at least 20 feet back from the street right-of-way, under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 3.90.04.D. The home occupation rules in Sec. 4.90.01.C only allow a sign at all as an exception to the requirement that a home business leave no visible change to the property, so this two-square-foot sign is the one sanctioned way to identify the business from the street.
Home Business Sign Rules in Knox County TN
Some RestrictionsKnox County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 3.90.04.D (cross-referenced by Sec. 4.90.01.C)
[Sec. 4.90.01.C] There shall be no change in the outside appearance of the building or premises, nor outdoor storage of anything other than vehicles, or other visible evidence of the conduct of such home occupation with the exception of signs as permitted in section 3.90, "Signs, billboards, and other advertising structures." [Sec. 3.90.04.D] Business signs for home occupations shall not exceed...
Cottage Food Operations
Knox County sets no separate cottage-food rule. Tennessee's Food Freedom Act (T.C.A. 53-1-118) lets you make and sell most homemade, non-hazardous foods without a state license, permit, or inspection. Zoning still treats it as a home occupation, so 'cooking and preserving' must meet the section 4.90 conditions.
Cottage Food / Homemade Food Sales
Some RestrictionsTennessee Food Freedom Act, T.C.A. § 53-1-118
Foods made in home kitchens under the TFFA are exempt from all licensing, permitting, inspecting, packaging, and labeling laws of this state.
Home Daycare
A small family home daycare fits within a home occupation, but a group day care home in unincorporated Knox County is a use-permitted-on-review under Zoning Ordinance 4.91, requiring a 10,000 sq ft lot, 30 sq ft of indoor play space per child, and a fenced play area. State DHS licensing
Home Daycare Rules
Some RestrictionsKnox County Zoning Ordinance 4.91.01
A fenced play area of not less than two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet for the first twenty (20) children shall be provided. For every additional child, an additional one hundred (100) square feet shall be provided... The minimum height of the fence shall be four (4) feet.
Home Business by City in Knox County
1 cities in Knox County have their own home business rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Knox County ordinances
See every category we cover for Knox County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Knox County Ordinance Hub →