Home occupation permits are issued by your municipality, not Chester County. In West Chester Borough you must obtain a home occupation permit before starting, and everyone working in the home must live there - off-site employees who never report to or park at the house are allowed.
Under the PA Municipalities Planning Code, home occupation permitting is municipal. West Chester Borough (§112-904.E) requires a resident practitioner to file an application, floor plan, and fee with the Director of Building, Housing and Codes Enforcement before operating. Any person engaged in the home occupation must be a resident of the dwelling; the business may have other employees only if they do not work at, report to, or park at the premises. There must be no customer, client, or patient traffic beyond normal residential levels. Requirements vary, so confirm with your own municipality.
Operating a home occupation without the required municipal permit, or breaching its conditions, is a zoning violation subject to an enforcement notice and municipal fines.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Chester County's home occupation permits rules stack up against other locations.
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