St. Louis County, MO Home Business: Customer Traffic Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Core limit
- No services to the public on-site
- Tutoring exception
- 1 student at a time, 8/day max
- Non-resident children
- Up to 4 may be supervised
- Roomers/boarders allowed
- Up to 2
- Excluded uses
- Salons, massage, vehicle repair
Summary
St. Louis County bars home occupations from offering services to the general public on the premises, so client and customer visits to a home-based business are not allowed.
Home occupation: A business, commercial, or professional endeavor operated as a domestic activity carried on solely by members of a family, as defined herein, who reside on the premises. These endeavors shall not offer any services to the general public on the premises...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Traffic: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
The county's zoning definition of "home occupation" draws a hard line at foot traffic: the endeavor must be carried on solely by resident family members and "shall not offer any services to the general public on the premises." That single clause is what actually controls client visits countywide, a bookkeeper, consultant, or stylist can run the business from home, but customers can't come to the house for it. Tutoring is carved out as an express exception, capped at one student at a time up to eight per day, and supervising up to four non-resident children or housing up to two roomers/boarders also still counts as a home occupation despite bringing outsiders onto the property.
Violations & Fines
Zoning enforcement (Dept. of Planning / Code Enforcement) can order the client-facing use stopped as a zoning violation; continued on-premises customer traffic risks a stop-work/cease order and the loss of home-occupation status for the business entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see clients at my home office in St. Louis County?
Are there any exceptions to the no-visitor rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis County
Compare St. Louis County to another location·View the Missouri home business overview
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