Merced requires a home occupation certificate and city business license for a 'minor' home occupation (permitted by-right). 'Major' home occupations require a Site Plan Review Permit with a public hearing; cottage food operations require a Minor Use Permit. Permits can be suspended if the use becomes a nuisance.
The City of Merced's permit pathway for home businesses is set in MMC Section 20.48.030. A 'minor home occupation' that complies with Chapter 20.48 is permitted by-right: no special Planning Division approval is needed, but the operator must obtain a home occupation certificate and a city business license. A 'major home occupation' triggers discretionary review: a Site Plan Review Permit, with a public hearing under MMC Section 20.68.050 and Chapter 20.70, is required for most major home occupations, while a cottage food operation specifically requires a Minor Use Permit. Major home occupations are allowed one employee beyond the residents of the home (provided one additional off-street parking space is supplied) and may receive up to six clients per day, only between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on weekdays unless the site plan review committee approves otherwise. Minor home occupations, by contrast, may not have any non-resident employees and may not host clients or customers at all. Deliveries and pick-ups for any home occupation are limited to 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Under MMC Section 20.48.050, the Director of Development Services may suspend a home occupation that becomes detrimental to public health, safety, or neighborhood character, violates any code, creates a traffic or parking hazard, operates differently than permitted, fails to commence within one year of approval, or ceases for more than one year.
Running a major home occupation without the required Site Plan Review or Minor Use Permit, exceeding employee/client limits, or violating hour restrictions can result in suspension of the home occupation under MMC 20.48.050 and code-enforcement penalties.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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The City of Merced regulates walls and fences under MMC Chapter 20.30, which addresses height and placement. Common residential materials — wood, vinyl, maso...
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City of Merced fences must comply with MMC Chapter 20.30 (Walls and Fences): a 7-foot maximum in rear yards, 4 feet in front yards, and 2 1/2 feet at corners...
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Retaining walls in the City of Merced follow the California Building Code, which the City adopts. Per 2022 CBC Section 105.2, walls not over 4 feet (measured...
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Merced has no ordinance using the word 'hoarding,' but it controls excessive animals through lot-size pet limits (Sec. 6.04.065), kennel/cattery permits (Sec...
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The City of Merced's animal code (Chapter 6.04) contains no specific ordinance prohibiting the feeding of wild animals. The closest local controls are the ge...
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Merced Municipal Code Section 6.04.065 limits cats by lot size (up to five on large single-family lots, one on multifamily units). Like dogs, a cat 'at large...
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