5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Spokane County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Spokane County zoning allows two tiers of home-based business in residential zones: a low-impact "home profession" (often permitted outright) and a larger "home industry" (usually a conditional use permit). Both must keep the residential character of the property.
SCC 14.300.100 (Definitions)
Home Profession: A profession or craft... carried on within a residence by the occupants, which activity is clearly incidental to the use of said residence as a dwelling and does not change the residential character of the dwelling or neighborhood, and is conducted in such a manner as to not give any outward appearance of a business.
Spokane County limits home-business signs strictly. A home profession may have one unlighted sign no larger than 5 square feet, placed flat against the residence. A home industry may have one unlighted attached or detached sign up to 16 square feet.
Spokane County Zoning Code, Home profession standards (SCC 14.606)
One sign identifying a home profession may be allowed. The sign shall be limited in size to a maximum of 5 square feet. The sign shall be unlighted and be placed flat against the residence. Window displays are not permitted.
Selling home-baked or other non-hazardous foods from a Spokane-area home requires a Washington State Department of Agriculture cottage food permit. Products must be made in your home kitchen and sold directly to consumers, with annual gross sales capped at $35,000.
RCW 69.22.030; RCW 69.22.050(1)(a)
All cottage food operations must be permitted every two years by the department on forms developed by the department. [The] annual gross sales of cottage food products may not exceed $35,000.
Running a child care in your Spokane-area home requires a Washington DCYF family home license. A licensed family home provider may care for up to 12 children at a time. Providing care without a license triggers a stop order and daily penalties.
RCW 43.216.010(1)(c)
"Family day care provider" and "family home provider" mean a child care provider who regularly provides early childhood education and early learning services for not more than 12 children at any given time in the provider's home in the family living quarters.
A home profession in unincorporated Spokane County requires a home-profession permit from the county Division of Building and Planning. A larger home industry requires a conditional use permit approved by the Hearing Examiner after a public hearing.
Spokane County Zoning Code, Home profession standards (SCC 14.606)
The hours of operation for a home profession shall occur between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. The applicant shall specify the hours of operation on the home profession permit. A home profession permit must be obtained from the Division of Building and Planning.
1 cities in Spokane County have their own home business rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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