5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Orleans Parish, Louisiana.
Verified from official government sources
A New Orleans home occupation must be conducted entirely within the dwelling, be clearly incidental and secondary to residential use, and cannot occupy an accessory structure. It is limited to 15% of the dwelling unit's floor area under CZO Article 21, Section 21.6.R.
CZO Art. 21, Sec. 21.6.R
The home occupation shall be conducted entirely within the dwelling and shall be clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the dwelling for residential purposes. No home occupation may be operated in an accessory structure.
A New Orleans home occupation may display one home occupation sign in accordance with CZO Article 24; additional signs are prohibited. No exterior alteration that changes the residential character of the building is permitted.
CZO Art. 21, Sec. 21.6.R (10); CZO Art. 24
A home occupation sign in accordance with Article 24 is permitted. Additional signs are prohibited.
Louisiana's cottage food law, R.S. 40:4.9, lets Orleans Parish residents prepare listed low-risk foods at home, such as baked goods, candies, jams, honey, and pickles, and sell directly to consumers, subject to labeling and a gross annual sales cap.
La. R.S. 40:4.9
No individual who prepares breads, cakes, cookies, or pies in the home for sale to the public pursuant to this Section shall sell such foods to any retail business or individual for resale.
A home daycare is not treated as a home occupation in New Orleans, so it cannot rely on the home-based business acknowledgment. Caring for more than six unrelated children requires a state license from the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services.
New Orleans Home-Based Business Acknowledgment (CZO Art. 21)
Day care homes are not considered a home occupation.
Every New Orleans home occupation requires an occupational license and a Home-Based Business Certificate of Occupancy. Applicants file at the One Stop Shop, sign the Acknowledgment of Limitations, and confirm their zoning allows the use under CZO Article 21.
CZO Art. 21, Sec. 21.6.R (13)
All home occupations require an occupational license.
1 cities in Orleans Parish have their own home business rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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