Home Business in Napa County, CA (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Napa County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Napa County Code 18.104.090 limits home occupations to the dwelling itself (no accessory buildings), confines them to 25% or less of the dwelling's gross floor area, restricts work to resident-occupants only, and prohibits any off-lot detectable noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors, or electrical interference.
Home occupation use, area, traffic, and nuisance limits
Heavy RestrictionsNapa County Code 18.104.090 (subsections A-K)
18.104.090 - Home occupations. The following rules and standards shall apply to each home occupation: A. No person other than those persons who are regular residents on the premises shall be engaged in such occupations. B. The use of the dwelling for the home occupation shall be clearly incidental and subordinate to its use for residential purposes by its occupants, and not more than twenty-fiv...
Signage Rules
Napa County Code 18.116.020(A) allows one wall-mounted, parallel-to-the-front-wall sign of up to one square foot displaying the occupant's name, address, and occupation without any permit. Any larger or freestanding sign for a home occupation would need a separate sign-permit pathway under Chapter 18.116, and Section 18.104.090(C) bars 'visible evidence' of the home occupation.
One 1 sq ft wall sign allowed without a permit
Some RestrictionsNapa County Code 18.116.020(A); 18.116.055 (Directional signs); Sign Permit Application Packet (PBES, Updated 10/23/2013)
18.116.020 Signs allowed without a permit. The following signs shall be allowed without a permit on any lot in any zone: A. One sign, not exceeding one square foot in sign area, attached to and parallel to the front wall of a building and containing the name, address and occupation of the occupant; B. One temporary, unlighted real estate sign not exceeding six square feet in sign area advertisi...
Cottage Food Operations
Cottage food operations in Napa County are authorized under California's AB 1616 / Health & Safety Code section 113758 et seq. and are registered (Class A) or permitted (Class B) by the Napa County Environmental Health Division. Class A is capped at $75,000 in 2024+ gross sales and Class B at $150,000. Napa County has not opted into the MEHKO (Microenterprise Home Kitchen) program.
Cottage food permit through Environmental Health (state law)
Light RestrictionsNapa County Environmental Health - Cottage Food Operations program page; California Health & Safety Code section 113758 et seq.
State law was changed to allow private homes to be used for the preparation and packaging of some food products for sale to consumers under certain conditions [effective January 1, 2013 under California Assembly Bill 1616]. Class A: Direct to consumer only; $75,000 or less in gross sales in 2024 and beyond; Registration with annual fee; Consumer complaint inspections only. Class B: Direct to re...
All Napa County ordinances
See every category we cover for Napa County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Napa County Ordinance Hub →