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

Simi Valley Development Code Chapter 9-26 requires that home occupations be conducted in a manner that does not alter the residential character of the neighborhood or create conditions incompatible with surrounding residential uses. Traffic generation is one of the principal standards by which this compatibility is evaluated. A home occupation must not produce vehicle trips, parking demand, or foot traffic that exceeds the reasonable pattern expected of a typical residence on the same street. This means that a home-based business which regularly draws clients, customers, patients, students, or business contacts to the property is likely to fail the compatibility test — not because of a categorical per-day number limit, but because any recurring pattern of business-driven visitors distinguishes the property from its residential context.

In practical terms, this standard operates as a functional prohibition on in-home client-service businesses. Hair stylists and cosmetologists who see clients at home, tutors and music teachers who schedule students at the residence, fitness trainers, massage therapists, tax preparers who meet clients in person, and similar service providers all generate the type of regular visitor traffic that the home occupation framework is designed to prevent. Contractors, consultants, and creative professionals who work primarily off-site or by phone and online are better positioned under the home occupation permit, as long as they do not invite clients or business associates to the residence for meetings. The permit-holder should plan to conduct all client-facing activity at a separate commercial location, co-working space, or through remote channels.

Delivery and freight activity is evaluated under the same reasonableness standard. A home-based business may receive UPS, FedEx, or USPS deliveries of supplies and product samples without concern, provided the frequency and volume is consistent with a household rather than a warehouse or distribution point. Daily scheduled freight pickups, repeated same-day deliveries, or any activity that creates observable loading and unloading at the curb will attract Code Enforcement attention. Business owners who find they need regular delivery volume should investigate commercial or light-industrial locations. Complaints regarding home occupation traffic violations are handled by the Simi Valley Environmental Services Department and can be submitted through the city's online Code Enforcement portal or by calling (805) 583-6753.