Riverside, CA Home Business: Customer Traffic Restrictions (2026)

RMC §19.485.040 (Site location, operation and development standards) requires that a home occupation 'shall not generate pedestrian or vehicular traffic beyond that which is normal for the residential district.' Combined with §19.485.010 (Purpose) — which limits home occupations to enterprises that do not 'require frequent customer access or have associated characteristics which would reduce the surrounding residents' enjoyment of their neighborhood' — this functionally bars businesses that depend on a steady stream of clients coming to the house. There is no fixed numeric cap in Chapter 19.485 (e.g., 'X clients per day'); instead, the standard is qualitative and triggered by neighbor complaints or Code Enforcement observation that traffic exceeds typical residential patterns. Direct retail sales of products from the premises to walk-in customers are not permitted as a home occupation; sales must be conducted off-site, by mail, online, or through delivery. Deliveries to the home occupation are limited under the same section to courier services on an occasional and reasonable basis — no commercial vehicles delivering bulk materials. Parking generated by the home occupation must fit within the existing driveway and on-street parking the residence would normally use; off-site parking arrangements or curb cuts to add capacity are not permitted as part of the home occupation use.