Bakersfield home occupations must not generate customer traffic beyond normal residential levels. BMC Title 17 prohibits regular client visits that exceed what a single-family residence typically experiences. Large numbers of customers, deliveries, or employees indicate the business has outgrown home occupation status.
BMC Title 17 requires that home occupations produce no significant traffic or parking demand. In practice, Planning interprets this as approximately 1-2 client visits per hour during daytime and no visits after typical residential quiet hours. Home businesses such as therapy practices, music lessons, and tutoring that see clients by appointment are permitted but must schedule to avoid stacking vehicles on the street. Frequent commercial deliveries (multiple daily FedEx/UPS drop-offs for retail fulfillment) can itself indicate an over-threshold business. Employees: the Home Occupation Permit allows only residents plus one non-resident employee on-site; additional remote workers do not count against this limit. Clients must park on-site or in legal street parking; blocking driveways, fire hydrants, or creating congestion are separate violations. If customer or employee needs exceed home occupation limits, the business must relocate to a commercial zone.
Excessive traffic or parking complaints can trigger Home Occupation Permit review and revocation. Parking violations carry vehicle citations. Continued operation after revocation is a code violation with fines up to $500 per day.
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See how Bakersfield's customer traffic restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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