San Bernardino County, CA Home Business: Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Permit requirements for home occupations in the unincorporated County are set in San Bernardino County Development Code Section 84.12.040 (Table 84-7). Class I home occupations require no permit, though an operator who wants documentation that the business is legal may obtain a Home Occupation Permit using the Class II procedures. Class II and Class III home occupations each require a Special Use Permit renewable every 24 months. Section 84.12.070 lists development standards applicable to all classes: the occupation must be accessory to a legal residential use and confined to an enclosed structure (residence or authorized accessory structure); noise may not exceed 55 dB(A) at the property lines; one additional parking space must be provided for each nonresident employee; no outdoor storage or display is allowed (except in the Desert Region on parcels of at least five acres if screened); and the home's external appearance may not change. Class I limits work to phone/mail/internet or creative artists, allows no on-premises sales except homegrown produce, and requires all workers to be resident family members. Class II generally allows one nonresident employee (two in the Mountain/Desert Regions with Director approval), customers by appointment only, a monthly trip-count average not exceeding 12 trips per day, and operating hours of 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Class III requires a parcel of at least one acre, allows direct public sales, up to five nonresident employees (on five-plus acres), and a trip-count average not exceeding 20 trips per day. Tenants must submit notarized owner permission, and required permits from other agencies must accompany the application.