Hanford, CA Home Business: Home Occupation Permits (2026)

The approval path for a home-based business in unincorporated Kings County depends on its scale. A minor home occupation is a permitted use (P) in the agricultural and residential districts, meaning no discretionary land-use permit is required as long as the business complies with Development Code Section 1102.A. Those standards require the occupation to be conducted by residents of the dwelling only, use no structures other than the house and the associated garage, have no open storage of equipment or supplies, generate no traffic beyond the normal residential use, keep no customers coming to the site for delivery of products or services, limit vehicles to "one truck of not more than one-ton capacity and not more than one trailer," and perform no on-site repair services other than small appliances. Signage is limited to a single two-square-foot name plate. A business that cannot meet those limits may instead qualify as a rural home occupation under Section 1102.B, which is allowed by Site Plan Review (S) and is generally limited to larger parcels with more activity permitted, including enclosed outdoor storage. Some uses, such as home occupations including barber and beauty shops, require a conditional use permit (Section 1102.D). A business license/tax certificate and any state licensing may also be required. Confirm your specific path with the Kings County Community Development Agency.