Apex requires a Home Occupation Permit for every home-based business before operation begins. The application is filed with the Apex Planning Department, costs $50, and is reviewed for compliance with UDO Sec. 4.5.5 standards. A separate Home Occupation Sign Permit is required to install the 12 in. x 12 in. door placard. Wake County business property tax listing is also required by NCGS § 105-308 (Jan. 1 to Jan. 31 annually).
Unlike Franklin TN or many other Sun Belt cities that treat home occupations as a by-right use, Apex requires every home occupation to obtain a Home Occupation Permit from the Apex Planning Department before commencing operation. The application (last updated June 27, 2024) requires: business name, applicant name and subdivision, mailing address, telephone, email, indication of whether any state/county/federal regulation or license applies (with copies if yes), property owner signature if the applicant is not the owner, and a flat $50 fee. Submittal is electronic via the Apex Electronic Plan Review portal at apexnc.org/195/Electronic-Plan-Review or by email PDF to planninginfo@apexnc.org. Planning staff reviews against the 11 cumulative standards in UDO Sec. 4.5.5 (incidental use, specialized service limits, enclosed building, essential character preserved, immediate family operation, one non-resident employee max, no external sign/advertising, no on-premises sales, no outdoor display, one passenger-sized vehicle, no nuisance). The determination is Approved, Approved with Conditions, or Denied. The decision is administrative — no public hearing — but appeals go to the Apex Board of Adjustment under UDO Article 2 and NCGS § 160D-405. A separate Home Occupation Sign Permit must be obtained to install the 12 in. x 12 in. door placard authorized under UDO Sec. 8.7.1.A.2. State and federal licensing (cosmetology, real estate, child care, contractor) remain mandatory and must be attached to the application. Wake County business property tax listing under NCGS § 105-308 is required of every business owning leasehold improvements or tangible personal property as of January 1 each year — listing period is January 1 through January 31, contact Wake County Revenue at (919) 856-5400. Apex does not have a separate municipal business privilege license tax (NCGS § 160A-211.1 repealed the local business license tax in 2015), but the Wake County property tax listing and any NC Secretary of State LLC/corporation filings remain in force.
Operating a home occupation without an approved Home Occupation Permit is a zoning violation under NCGS § 160D-404 and § 160D-1119, enforced by the Apex Planning Department with notice of violation, daily civil penalties (UDO Article 11), stop-use order, and equitable relief in Wake County Superior Court. Failure to list business personal property with Wake County is a violation of NCGS § 105-308 with discovered-property penalties of 10 percent per year plus interest.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Apex, NC
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Apex, NC
Apex does not mandate native plants in private landscapes but actively promotes them. The Town's Plant the Peak program installs native trees on residential ...
Apex, NC
Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged in Apex. North Carolina state law prohibits local governments from banning cisterns and rain barrels used for ir...
Apex, NC
Apex UDO Sec. 4.5.6 permits one Accessory Apartment per single-family lot. Attached accessory apartments have no size limit. Detached accessory apartments ar...
Apex, NC
Apex Town Code Sec. 13-62 limits Mobile Food Vendors to (a) private property with written owner permission, (b) Town-owned property with the Town Manager's w...
Apex, NC
Apex Town Code Chapter 13, Article IV (Sec. 13-60 through 13-69.5), adopted by Ordinance 2019-0305-02, requires every Mobile Food Vendor and Transient Food V...
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