5 rules for unincorporated St. Joseph County, Indiana.
Verified from official government sources
A home occupation in unincorporated St. Joseph County must fit the parcel's zoning district under the county Zoning Ordinance, administered by the Area Plan Commission. Indiana's Advisory Planning Law gives the local legislative body exclusive zoning authority, so the home must stay a residential use.
Ind. Code § 36-7-4-601
The legislative body having jurisdiction over the geographic area described in the zoning ordinance has exclusive authority to adopt a zoning ordinance.
A home-business sign in unincorporated St. Joseph County must meet the county Zoning Ordinance's sign standards for the parcel's residential district. The Advisory Planning Law expressly lets the zoning ordinance regulate signs, so size and placement are capped, not left to the operator.
Ind. Code § 36-7-4-601(d)(2)(B)
requirements for site conditions, signs, and nonstructural improvements, such as parking lots, ponds, fills, landscaping, and utilities
A home occupation in unincorporated St. Joseph County may not generate traffic beyond a normal residential level, and parking stays off-street on the lot. The county Zoning Ordinance restricts the kind and intensity of uses, so a home business cannot draw commercial volumes of customers.
Ind. Code § 36-7-4-601(d)(2)(G)
restrictions on the kind and intensity of uses
Indiana's Home Based Vendor Law lets you make and sell approved non-hazardous foods from a St. Joseph County home with no license or health permit. Under IC 16-42-5.3-4 the food must be produced at your primary residence and sold directly to the end consumer.
Ind. Code § 16-42-5.3-4
A home based vendor shall prepare and sell only a food product that is: (1) made, grown, or raised by an individual at the individual's primary residence, including any permanent structure that is on the same property as the residence;
Caring for children for pay in a St. Joseph County home requires a license from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. IC 12-17.2-5-1 bars operating a child care home without a license; the county's role is limited to zoning and building compliance.
Ind. Code § 12-17.2-5-1
A person may not operate a child care home without a license issued under this article.
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