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

The City of Hawthorne requires a Home Occupation Permit before a resident may operate a business from a dwelling, administered jointly by the Planning Department and the Business License Division under Chapter 17.72. The applicant completes an Application for a Home Occupation Permit, signs a Statement of Conditions, provides a detailed description of the business and items sold or services provided, supplies a Property Owner's Authorization Form if renting or living in a condo/townhouse, and files a Business Tax Certificate / Permit Application. The completed forms and fees are submitted to the Business License Division at 4455 West 126th Street. Fees, per the City's own instructions, are a one-time Planning Department filing fee (amount confirmed at the counter), an annual business license tax based on estimated gross receipts, and a one-time business license application fee of $56.00; all filing fees are non-refundable. The Planning Department reviews the application administratively, and upon approval the Business License Division issues the combined Home Occupation / Business Tax Certificate. The chapter's intent is to preserve residential character; the permit binds the operator to the Statement of Conditions (20% floor-area limit, residents-only employment, no signs, no on-site customers except one-on-one instruction, no nuisance impacts). The Director of Planning may revoke a permit for noncompliance after at least ten days' written notice, and an applicant may appeal a denial or revocation to the Planning Commission and ultimately the City Council under Sections 17.40.190-17.40.220.