Richmond requires a Home Occupation Certificate of Zoning Compliance plus a business license for any business run from a dwelling. Home occupations must be clearly incidental to residential use, with no non-resident employees and no customer visits in most R districts.
Zoning Ordinance §30-692 permits home occupations in all residential districts subject to performance standards: no more than 25 percent of the dwelling floor area used for the business, no outdoor storage, no signs over 1 square foot, no deliveries by vehicles over 10,000 lbs GVWR, and no employees who do not reside in the dwelling. Home Occupation Certificate costs 150 dollars (2026 fee schedule). A Richmond business license is required annually through the Department of Finance with BPOL tax based on gross receipts.
Operating without a Certificate: 100 to 500 dollars per day under §30-930. BPOL tax penalties accrue under VA Code §58.1-3916 at 10 percent plus interest.
See how Richmond's home occupation permits rules stack up against other locations.
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