Apple Valley, CA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Chapter 9.19 of the Apple Valley Development Code governs every home-based business inside town limits. Section 9.19.010 states the purpose: letting residents run income-producing activities from their homes while protecting neighbors from the noise, traffic or other nuisance that would interfere with the residential atmosphere. Section 9.19.020 requires the permit before the business license issues, and Section 9.19.030 gives the Planning Division sole authority to approve, conditionally approve or deny the application; no public hearing is held. Applicants file on a Director-prescribed form with the Planning Division under Section 9.19.040, and acceptance of the application does not commit the Town to approval.

Section 9.19.050's fifteen general operating standards apply in every residential district: the dwelling cannot be altered, decorated or built to advertise the business or make it recognizable from the street; the garage cannot be altered externally; the occupation cannot encroach into required parking, setback or open-space areas; and it cannot run outside Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional standards layer on by zone. In the R-VLD, R-A and R-LD districts one employee beyond the resident may work on site, with written landlord authorization required if the home is rented. In the R-E, R-EQ, R-SF, R-M and M-U districts, the occupation must stay within one room or twenty percent of the dwelling's floor area, whichever is less.

Section 9.19.060 requires the Director to find the operation complies with these standards, is not on the prohibited list in Section 9.19.070, and will not harm public health, safety or welfare before issuing the permit.