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Story County, IA Home Business: Customer Traffic Restrictions (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Daily visit cap
10 visits / 20 trips combined
Freight cap
1 delivery and 1 shipment per day
Parking spaces
Max 5 for clients/employees/deliveries
Vehicles on site
Max 5 at any one time
Off-site employees
Counted the same as client visits
No-permit threshold
Traffic must stay under 10 visits/20 trips

Summary

Home businesses in unincorporated Story County are capped at ten client, employee and delivery visits, twenty vehicle trips, a day, plus one freight delivery and one freight shipment. No more than five parking spaces can serve clients, employees and deliveries, and no more than five of their vehicles can be on site at once.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Story County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

I. It shall not create traffic or delivery concerns in the immediate area. In combination, all home business activities shall not generate traffic (client, employee, and delivery) substantially greater than ten (10) visits (20 trips) a day. In addition, it shall not receive more than one (1) freight delivery or send more than one (1) freight shipment a day. Any visit to the premises by off-site employees of the home business shall be considered the same as a "client" visit and shall comply with the requirements set forth in sections J and K. J. No more than five (5) parking spaces shall be provided for clients, employees, and deliveries, and the parking of no more than five (5) client, employee, and delivery vehicles at any one time shall be permitted.

Full Breakdown

01(1)(I) and (J) of the Land Development Regulations set firm daily caps on how much activity a home business can generate in unincorporated Story County. Combined client, employee and delivery traffic cannot substantially exceed ten visits, twenty trips, a day, and the business cannot receive more than one freight delivery or send more than one freight shipment in a day. Any visit by an off-site employee counts the same as a client visit toward that limit. Parking is capped separately: no more than five spaces may be provided for clients, employees and deliveries, and no more than five of their vehicles can be parked on site at any one time.

A home business may offer classes, but classes cannot push the operation past these traffic or parking caps. The limits work as a threshold between two tracks. 01(2) without a Home Business Permit at all, though the Planning and Development Director can still request information on employee counts, customer volume and site plans. 01.

Violations & Fines

A home business generating more traffic, freight or parking demand than Section 89.01(1) allows, without holding the required Home Business Permit, is enforced under Section 92.11 and Chapter 93. A county employee who witnesses the violation can issue a citation carrying a civil penalty of up to $750 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for each repeat offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many customers can visit my home business per day?
Section 89.01(1)(I) caps combined client, employee and delivery traffic at roughly ten visits, or twenty vehicle trips, a day. Go above that and the business needs a Home Business Permit rather than operating as an exempt small operation.
How many parking spaces can a home business have?
No more than five parking spaces can be provided for clients, employees and deliveries, and no more than five of their vehicles can be on the property at any one time, under Section 89.01(1)(J).
Do freight deliveries count toward the traffic limit?
Freight is capped separately: a home business cannot receive more than one freight delivery or send more than one freight shipment a day, in addition to the ten-visit client and employee cap.
Can I teach classes at my home business?
Yes, Section 89.01(1)(K) allows home businesses to offer classes, but attendance cannot push the operation's total traffic or parking above the standard ten-visit and five-space caps.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Story County

All Story County rules

Compare Story County to another location·View the Iowa home business overview

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