Indianapolis-Marion County Consolidated Zoning Ordinance Chapter 743 (Uses and Use-Specific Standards) lists Home Occupation as an accessory use allowed by right in residential districts, subject to the use-specific standards in Sec. 743-306.K. A home occupation that meets those standards needs no separate zoning permit, but a Marion County building permit is required for any structural alteration, and a state Registered Retail Merchant Certificate is required for retail sales.
Indianapolis-Marion County's Consolidated Zoning Ordinance, adopted in 2015 and codified as Chapters 740 through 744 of the Code of Ordinances (the Indy Rezone framework), treats a home occupation as an accessory use customarily incidental to a dwelling. Chapter 743 (Uses and Use-Specific Standards) shows Home Occupation in the Use Table 743-1 as an A (accessory) use in every residential district and points to the use-specific standards in Sec. 743-306.K (Accessory and Temporary Uses). Those standards, modeled on the prior Marion County Dwelling Districts Zoning Ordinance, generally require that the occupation be conducted by a resident of the dwelling, occupy a minor portion of the floor area, produce no exterior evidence of the business other than a permitted small identification sign, generate no traffic or parking demand beyond what is normal for a residence, and exclude on-site retail sales of stock to walk-in customers. A home occupation that complies with Sec. 743-306.K does not require a separate zoning special exception or use permit, but any structural alteration requires a Marion County Building Permit administered by the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services, and a state Registered Retail Merchant Certificate is required from the Indiana Department of Revenue if tangible personal property is sold. Operations exceeding the standards (employees from outside the household, walk-in customer traffic, exterior signage beyond what is permitted, or commercial vehicle parking) require a special exception from the Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals.
Operating a home-based business outside the Sec. 743-306.K standards is a zoning violation enforceable by the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services Compliance Division. Typical enforcement begins with a Notice of Violation directing the operator to either bring the use into compliance, file for a special exception with the Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals, or cease the activity, with civil fines accruing per day until compliance.
See how Indianapolis's home occupation permits rules stack up against other locations.
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