Fillmore Customer Traffic Restrictions Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

Under Chapter 10.02.12 of the Fillmore Municipal Code, a home occupation must not generate pedestrian or vehicular traffic, including parking demand, in excess of what is normally associated with residential use. The standard is practical and appearance-based: neighbors and passersby should not be able to distinguish the property from any other home on the street based on the volume, frequency, or pattern of visitors, deliveries, or parked vehicles. A home business that draws a steady stream of customers throughout the day fails this test even if individual visits are short.

The ordinance establishes specific operational expectations: no more than two client or customer vehicles should be at the home at any one time, and there should be no outdoor waiting, queuing, or gathering of clients on the property, driveway, or adjacent sidewalk. Commercial deliveries — inbound supplies and outbound shipments — must remain consistent with normal household delivery patterns. A home-based business receiving daily freight deliveries or generating multiple daily courier pickups would likely be cited for exceeding residential delivery norms.

Fillmore's particular context makes traffic management especially important. Many residential streets in town are narrow, with limited on-street parking. In neighborhoods adjacent to agricultural operations along the edges of town, driveways and street access must remain clear for farm equipment. A home business generating even a modest increase in parked cars can create real friction with neighbors who depend on available street parking and clear access. Code enforcement staffing in a city of roughly 16,000 is limited, so enforcement relies heavily on neighbor complaints. A Home Occupation Permit is conditioned on ongoing compliance with traffic limitations, and documented violations — particularly repeated complaints from multiple neighbors — can result in permit suspension or revocation.

Home business operators should manage client scheduling carefully to avoid clustering visits, and should direct clients to park in the driveway rather than on the street when possible. Businesses that inherently require frequent in-person visits — such as hair salons, tutoring centers, or repair shops — should evaluate whether a commercial location on Central Avenue or in Fillmore's business park would better accommodate their traffic needs.