Del Norte County, CA Home Business: Home Occupation Permits (2026)

A home-based business in the unincorporated county is allowed only if it meets the home occupation standards in the Del Norte County zoning ordinance. The coastal zoning code (Title 21), section 21.04.330, sets the substantive conditions a home occupation must meet: the use must be conducted entirely within the dwelling, occupy no more than 25 percent of the floor space, be carried on by resident family members with no other person employed, involve only sales of goods produced on the premises or incidental to the services offered, avoid converting a room into a salesroom, produce no outside evidence beyond an unlighted one-square-foot sign, and generate no traffic beyond what is normal for the neighborhood. Certain uses, such as clinics, eating establishments, multi-operator salons, animal hospitals, and commercial woodworking or repair shops, are expressly excluded and cannot be approved as home occupations. The Community Development Department's Planning Division (981 H Street, Suite 110, Crescent City; (707) 464-7254) administers and enforces the zoning ordinance and processes development permits, so it is the office that confirms whether a particular home business needs a zoning clearance, home occupation permit, or use permit and what the current fee is. Because the county has both coastal (Title 21) and non-coastal (Title 20) zoning codes, the exact permit pathway and section number depend on where the property sits. The most reliable step for an operator is to contact the Planning Division, describe the proposed business, and confirm in writing that it qualifies as a home occupation and what approval, if any, is required before starting. Note that a home occupation that is also a cottage food operation or a family day care home is treated separately under state law.