Home Business in Washington County, MD (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Washington County, Maryland.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Washington County, Maryland allows a "Home Occupation" as an accessory use in residential zoning districts, without a special exception, so long as it stays under 2,500 square feet of floor space, generates no outside storage, and shows no exterior evidence of nonresidential use. The Zoning Ordinance still requires a zoning permit, reviewed by the Zoning Administrator within 60 days.
Washington County Home Occupation Zoning Standards
Some RestrictionsWashington County (MD) Zoning Ordinance Art. 28A - Definitions, "Home Occupation"; § 9.3(b)
Home Occupation: Any use of a dwelling or accessory building conducted solely by a member or members of the family residing therein, which is incidental or subordinate to the main use of the building for dwelling purposes and meets all of the following criteria: A. The use does not exceed more than two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet of the floor space of the dwelling or accessory str...
Signage Rules
Washington County, Maryland caps a home business sign at one sign of ten square feet, and that single sign needs no zoning permit at all. The Zoning Ordinance's sign division lists the home-occupation sign among a short set of signs a property owner may put up without applying to the Zoning Administrator first.
Washington County Home Business Sign Limit
Some RestrictionsWashington County (MD) Zoning Ordinance § 22.21(a)
Section 22.21 Signs Permitted Without Zoning Permits: The following signs are permitted without zoning permit in any district provided the following conditions are adhered thereto. (a) A sign indicating the name and/or premises or accessory use of a home for a home occupation or professional purpose, not exceeding ten (10) square feet in area.
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Washington County, Maryland lets a home business operate as a zoning-exempt "Home Occupation" only if it does not generate vehicular parking, freight, delivery, or other nonresidential traffic beyond what a normal household would produce. The Zoning Ordinance's Article 28A definition ties this traffic limit to four other conditions a home business must meet at once.
Washington County Home Occupation Traffic Limit
Some RestrictionsWashington County (MD) Zoning Ordinance Art. 28A - Definitions, "Home Occupation" (Criterion B)
Home Occupation: Any use of a dwelling or accessory building conducted solely by a member or members of the family residing therein, which is incidental or subordinate to the main use of the building for dwelling purposes and meets all of the following criteria: ... B. The use does not generate vehicular parking, freight and delivery traffic or other nonresidential traffic to a greater extent t...
Home Daycare
Washington County, Maryland lets any residence operate as a registered Family Day Care Home without a separate zoning permit under Zoning Ordinance Section 4.15. The home must register with the Maryland Office of Child Care Licensing and Regulation and cap enrollment at eight children under 13, counting the provider's own kids under six, with no more than two children under age two at once.
Washington County, MD Family Day Care Home Rules
Light RestrictionsWashington County Zoning Ordinance § 4.15 (Family Day Care)
Nothing in this Ordinance shall prohibit the use of any residence to be used as a registered Family Day Care Home. Family Day Care Homes shall be registered with and meet all of the requirements of the Maryland Office of Child Care Licensing and Regulation. Family Day Care is care given for compensation in lieu of parental care in a residence other than the child's residence for part of a twent...
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