Whittier, CA Home Business: Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Whittier handles home-occupation approval through two City steps rather than a single discretionary 'home occupation permit.' First, the City's published guidance states that businesses conducted from a home in the City are required to have a business license as well as approval from the Planning Department. The business license is administered by the Finance Department under the City's business-license program; applications can be filed through the City's online portal. Second, the Planning Division (Community Development) confirms the proposed home occupation complies with the accessory-use standards of Whittier Municipal Code Section 18.10.020 - the one-room / 200-square-foot or 25%-of-floor-area limit, the no-non-resident-employee rule, the no-dust/fumes/noise/odor rule, the storage and vehicle limits, and the sign restriction. For cottage food operations, WMC 18.10.020 specifies a distinct, more formal path: an application for a permit to engage in a cottage food operation must be filed with the zoning administrator on a form prescribed by the City, and that permit is revocable for non-compliance. For ordinary home occupations, the City directs applicants with questions to the Planning Division of the Community Development Department at (562) 567-9320 or comdev@cityofwhittier.org. The City has not published a flat home-occupation permit fee on these pages; business-license fees are set under the City's business-license schedule.