Hayward requires a home occupation permit and business license for any business operated from a residence, with limits on signage, customer visits, employees, and outdoor storage.
Under the Hayward Municipal Code, residents operating a business from their home must obtain a home occupation permit through the Planning Division and a city business license through the Finance Department. Permitted home occupations must be clearly incidental to residential use, occupy no more than 25 percent of the dwelling, have no non-resident employees working on site, generate no customer traffic beyond normal residential patterns, produce no noise, odor, vibration, or electrical interference, and display no exterior signage. Outdoor storage of business materials and commercial vehicles over three-quarter ton capacity are prohibited. Certain uses like auto repair, medical offices, and kennels are not allowed as home occupations.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
See how other cities in Alameda County handle home occupation permits.
See how Hayward's home occupation permits rules stack up against other locations.
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