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Washington County, MN Home Business: Customer Traffic Restrictions (2026)

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

Key Facts

Governing section
Development Code Ch. Two, Section 2.6(3)(B)
Traffic limit
No more than a single-family residence generates
Employees allowed
Only residents of the premises may work the business
Parking
All occupation-generated parking must be on-site
Applies to
Unincorporated county land, not incorporated cities
Enforcing agency
Public Works Dept., Zoning Administrator, 651-430-4300

Summary

Washington County's Development Code caps traffic generated by a home-based business at the volume a single-family residence would normally produce. The standard applies to home occupations on unincorporated land the county zones directly, and sits alongside rules on employees, signage, hazardous waste, nuisance and on-site parking every home occupation must also satisfy.

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

(3) Performance Standards. A home occupation must comply with the following standards: (A) Home occupation by any persons other than the residents of the premises is prohibited. (B) A home occupation shall not generate traffic in greater volume than would result from a single family residence.

View official code

Full Breakdown

6(3) of Chapter Two, Zoning Regulations, sets eight performance standards every home occupation must meet in the unincorporated area Washington County zones directly (townships, not the county's cities, which regulate home businesses under their own codes). ' The county pairs that cap with standard (A), which bars anyone but the residents of the premises from working the business, and standard (H), which requires all parking generated by the occupation to be provided on-site rather than on the street or a neighbor's lot. 3(3) and (4), display or store goods or equipment outdoors, or generate hazardous waste without an approved off-site disposal plan; a home on an individual sewage treatment system is held to normal domestic household waste only.

10. 6(1) requires the operator to first obtain a Certificate of Compliance, and the underlying zoning district must independently allow home occupations. 6(2) requires compliance with every federal, state, county and local licensing requirement, and any state or county license normally must be secured before that Certificate of Compliance issues.

Violations & Fines

The Public Works Department is the Zoning Administrator for Chapter Two and, under Section 5.2, enforces the Development Code by issuing permits, reviewing applications for compliance, and inspecting structures and land uses. Section 4.1 requires every structure and use in the unincorporated county to conform to the Development Code, so a home occupation producing more traffic than a single-family residence is out of compliance and subject to the Administrator's enforcement action; questions go to Public Works at 651-430-4300.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much customer or delivery traffic can my home business generate in Washington County?
No more than a single-family residence would normally generate, under Development Code Section 2.6(3)(B). The county sets no numeric vehicle-trip count; instead the Zoning Administrator compares the occupation's actual traffic pattern to what a typical household on the same lot would produce, and treats any occupation drawing materially more visits, deliveries or client vehicles as noncompliant.
Does this home occupation rule apply inside Stillwater, Woodbury or other cities?
No. Washington County zones only the unincorporated townships and rural area directly; Stillwater, Woodbury, Oakdale, Cottage Grove, Forest Lake and the county's other incorporated cities adopt and enforce their own home occupation standards under their own zoning codes, which can set different traffic, parking or employee limits.
Can I hire employees who don't live at the home for my home occupation?
No. Section 2.6(3)(A) prohibits a home occupation from being run by anyone other than the residents of the premises, so bringing in outside staff, even part-time, takes the business outside what the county allows without further zoning approval.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Washington County

Zoning & Home Occupation PermitsSignificant RestrictionsSignage RulesSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor SoundSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Neighbor Fence RulesLight Restrictions

All Washington County rules

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