Rialto requires home-based businesses to obtain both a Home Occupation Permit from the Planning Division and a city business license. Under Rialto Municipal Code 5.68.040, no business license may be issued for a home occupation until a valid home occupation permit has been issued.
Rialto Municipal Code Chapter 5.68 (Ord. 1300, 1999) governs home occupations. RMC 5.68.040 makes a home occupation permit mandatory before operating, with a separate permit required for each home occupation at a dwelling. For uses specifically listed in RMC 5.68.050 (such as offices, telemarketing, home crafts, and tutoring), approval is ministerial: the director of development services must decide within 15 days of a complete application (RMC 5.68.090(A)). Unlisted uses, or requests to waive any operating standard, require a discretionary planning commission hearing with notice posted on the property and mailed to owners within 100 feet (RMC 5.68.090(B)). Per the city's 2025 Business License FAQs, fees are 45.90 dollars for the Home Occupation Permit application, 40.40 dollars new business license administration, 25.90 dollars renewal administration, and a 4.00 dollar state fee, plus the business license tax. The city quotes a 20-business-day review window for business license applications. The permit runs with the person, occupation, and address, and expires automatically if the business is discontinued for six months or the permittee moves (RMC 5.68.130). Exemptions: remote employees of an off-site business that generate no extra traffic, and state-licensed child care facilities (RMC 5.68.040(C)-(D)).
Violating Chapter 5.68 is an infraction punishable by a fine of 200 to 500 dollars per offense, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense (RMC 5.68.170). The planning commission may also revoke or modify the permit after a noticed hearing (RMC 5.68.150).
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Rialto, CA
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