Forsyth County, GA Home Business: Customer Traffic Restrictions (2026)

The Unified Development Code splits home-based businesses into two license types with different customer, employee and vehicle caps. A professional home office, the more restrictive tier, permits only two customers on the premises, bars all non-resident employees, and limits business use to one passenger vehicle; exterior signage is prohibited outright (UDC § 16-3.1(A)). A home occupation is more intensive and is capped at one per residence: it allows the same two-customer limit at any given time, but up to three non-resident employees and two passenger vehicles, plus one exterior sign (§ 16-3.1(B)).

The two-customer cap has a narrow carve-out under § 16-3.1(D): on Agricultural (A1) or Agricultural-Residential (AG-RES) parcels of at least five acres, the Planning Commission can approve group instruction for up to ten attendees between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., seven days a week, after a public hearing. Both license types run for an initial twelve-month term and then renew annually, expiring every April 1 (§ 16-3.2(L)). The director of Planning & Community Development can revoke a license if the operation's activities change beyond what was approved or if there is reasonable cause to believe performance standards, including the customer cap, are being violated.

Owners must also permit the director or another authorized agent to inspect the premises to confirm compliance; refusing access can trigger immediate discontinuation of the license (§ 16-3.2(J)). A revoked license can be appealed to the Zoning Board of Appeals under the procedures in Chapter 8 (§ 16-3.3(A)).