Fort Collins, CO Home Business: Customer Traffic Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Client visit hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday-Saturday
- Governing section
- Transitional Land Use Code § 3.8.3(1)
- Extra staff allowed
- One additional employee or co-worker
- License term
- Two years, renewable with new application
- Floor area cap
- Half of the dwelling unit's floor area
- Enforcement
- Director can revoke license for violations
Summary
Fort Collins limits home occupation client and customer visits to 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, under Section 3.8.3(1) of the Transitional Land Use Code. That standard governs home occupations reviewed under the code the City used before adopting its current Land Use Code on May 17, 2024; operating one also requires a City-issued two-year home occupation license.
Such use shall be conducted entirely within a dwelling and carried on by the inhabitants of the dwelling with not more than one (1) additional employee or co-worker. The hours of operation during which clients, customers, employees or co-workers are allowed to come to the home in connection with the business activity are limited to between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 155 | Transitional Land Use Code (for project before May 17, 2024): Supplement 61 | Traffic Code: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
, Monday through Saturday, with no visitor traffic allowed on Sundays. 1(D)(5)(a). Only incidental on-site sales of stock or products are permitted, no business material or equipment can be stored outdoors, and noise, vibration, smoke, dust, odor, heat, or glare noticeable at the property line is prohibited. Operators must also supply enough off-street parking to cover the business's own needs. The Code lists animal hospitals, long-term care facilities, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, group homes, adult-oriented uses, vehicle repair or towing operations, and marijuana businesses as uses that can never qualify as home occupations regardless of client hours.
A home occupation license from the City is mandatory before opening, priced under the Development Review Fee Schedule and valid for two years before renewal. This chapter governed development review applications and licenses processed before Fort Collins adopted its current Land Use Code by Ordinance No. 055, 2024, effective for applications submitted on or after May 17, 2024; home occupations licensed under the earlier standard continue to operate under these hour limits.
Violations & Fines
The Zoning Director can revoke a home occupation license outright under Section 3.8.3(11) for breaking the hours, floor-area, signage, storage, noise, or parking conditions in Section 3.8.3(1) through (8). If the City is investigating a violation when a two-year renewal application comes due, the renewal is held until the investigation, and any required correction, is finished, though the existing license stays valid during that review. A license holder facing revocation can seek administrative review under Chapter 2, Article VI of the City Code before losing the right to operate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Fort Collins home business have client visits on Sunday?
Do I need a license to run a home business in Fort Collins?
How many workers can a Fort Collins home occupation employ?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Collins
Compare Fort Collins to another location·View the Colorado home business overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Customer Traffic Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Larimer County handle customer traffic restrictions.