6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Sutter County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Sutter County allows home occupations in residential zones under Zoning Code Article 12. The code defines four tiers (Home Office, Cottage Food Operation, Minor Home Occupation, Major Home Occupation) with escalating permit and operating standards, and limits the business to 25% of the dwelling's gross floor area.
Sutter County Zoning Code Sections 1500-12-030, 1500-12-040
1500-12-030 Operational and Performance Standards. Home Occupations shall comply with the following standards: A. Relationship to Dwelling Unit. The home occupation shall be clearly incidental and subordinate to the primary residential use of the dwelling unit. B. Outdoor Storage Prohibited. Goods and materials associated with a home occupation shall be stored within an enclosed structure. The ...
Signage for home occupations in unincorporated Sutter County is governed by Zoning Code Article 21 (Signs). In residential districts a home occupation may have one non-illuminated wall-mounted sign no larger than 4 square feet that does not extend above the eaves of the building.
Sutter County Zoning Code Sections 1500-12-030(K), 1500-21-060, 1500-21-070 (Tables 1500-21-1, 1500-21-2)
1500-12-030(K): Signage. Signage for home occupations shall be subject to Article 21. ... Table 1500-21-2: RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS - Home Occupation Signs: 1 non-illuminated wall mounted sign; Maximum Area Per Sign: 4 square feet; Maximum Height: Not to exceed the eaves of the building to which it is affixed. ... Table 1500-21-1: AGRICULTURAL, RECREATION and PUBLIC DISTRICTS - Home Occupation Sig...
Sutter County limits home business client visits to six per day for a Minor Home Occupation and ten per day for a Major Home Occupation, with visits allowed only between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; Home Offices may not receive clients at all.
Sutter County Zoning Code Section 1500-12-030(C), (E), (G), (H), (J)
C. Vehicles. No additional vehicles, except for those that would ordinarily be located at a place of residence, shall be permitted in conjunction with the home occupation. ... E. Deliveries. Deliveries and pick-ups for home occupations shall not exceed the volume normally associated with residential uses, shall not interfere with vehicle circulation, and shall occur only between 8:00 a.m. and 8...
Cottage Food Operations are a recognized home occupation in unincorporated Sutter County (Zoning Code 1500-12-010), permitted in residential zones. The substance — Class A vs. Class B registration, sales limits, and approved foods — is set by California's Homemade Food Act and administered by the County's Environmental Health Division.
Sutter County Zoning Code Sections 1500-12-010(B), 1500-12-020(A); Cal. Health and Safety Code Section 114365
1500-12-010(B): Cottage Food Operation. A business, pursuant to the California Health and Safety Code, where a cottage food operator resides and where cottage food products (identified on the list of approved cottage food categories established and maintained by the California Department of Public Health) are prepared or packaged for sale to a consumer or third-party retailer. ... 1500-12-020(A...
Family day care homes are protected by California state law. In unincorporated Sutter County, Small Family Day Care is permitted by right in all residential districts, while Large Family Day Care requires a Zoning Clearance in lower-density residential zones and is permitted by right in higher-density (R-3, R-4) zones, with additional parking, fire, building, and Environmental Health sign-offs.
Cal. Health and Safety Code Section 1597.45; Sutter County Zoning Code Section 1500-05-030(P)
Cal. Health and Safety Code Section 1597.45: (a) The use of a home as a small or large family daycare home shall be considered a residential use of property and a use by right for the purposes of all local ordinances, including, but not limited to, zoning ordinances. (b) A local jurisdiction shall not impose a business license, fee, or tax for the privilege of operating a small or large family ...
Permit requirements scale by category under Sutter County Zoning Code Article 12. A Home Office needs no permit; a Minor Home Occupation requires a Zoning Clearance; and a Major Home Occupation (up to one outside employee) requires a Use Permit from the Development Services Department.
1 cities in Sutter County have their own home business rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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