Renton requires a Special Home Occupation Permit under RMC 4-9-090 plus a 150 dollar City Business License. Review takes about 2 weeks; strict rules on employees, signage, and accessory structures.
RMC 4-9-090 establishes the Special Home Occupation Permit for businesses operated from a Renton residence. An application is filed with Community and Economic Development; a 150 dollar Business License through filelocal-wa.gov is also required. The home occupation must be clearly incidental to residential use: no more than 1 non-resident employee, no outdoor storage of business materials visible from the street, no more than 25 percent of floor area used for the business, and no traffic or noise that changes residential character. Accessory buildings dedicated to the home occupation cannot exceed 1,000 sq ft or the primary residence footprint (whichever is smaller). Signage is limited to one flush-mounted, non-illuminated sign of 2 sq ft. Kennels and pet daycare/boarding are prohibited as home occupations. Review takes approximately 2 weeks and a SEPA checklist is not usually required for interior-only uses.
Operating without permit: stop-work order plus RMC 1-10 civil penalties. Exceeding scope (employees, traffic, signage): permit revocation and code enforcement.
See how other cities in King County handle home occupation permits.
See how Renton's home occupation permits rules stack up against other locations.
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