Auburn, AL Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

04(B) of the Auburn Zoning Ordinance sets thirteen general regulations that every home occupation must meet. The business must be clearly secondary to the dwelling's residential use: with the exception of homestays, no more than 25 percent of the home's total floor area, and never more than 500 square feet, may be used for the business, and garages, carports, outside storage rooms and porches don't count toward that floor area. The dwelling's exterior appearance cannot change, the home cannot be enlarged to accommodate the business, and no new or existing accessory structure may be used to run it.

Only one person who does not live in the dwelling may work in the home occupation, and no home occupation may involve on-site vehicle repair or the sale of weapons such as knives, firearms or air guns. 04(C) requires the applicant to pay a fee under Article IX and submit an application to the Planning Director, who has three business days to approve, deny, or request more information; the applicant must also submit a deed or, if renting, a notarized letter of authorization from the owner.

Only one home occupation is permitted per dwelling unit (a fraternity, sorority or boarding house counts as a single dwelling unit), and incomplete applications are denied outright. 05.