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Aurora, IL Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Floor-area cap
25% of dwelling unit
Non-resident employees
1 maximum
Visitor hours
7:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. only
Governing code
Aurora Code of Ordinances § 49-107.3(b)

Summary

Aurora, Illinois caps a home occupation at 25% of a dwelling's floor area and one non-resident employee, permitted by-right across every residential zoning district.

No more than twenty-five (25) percent of the area of a dwelling unit shall be devoted to the home occupation, except for babysitting services, day care homes and part day child care facilities/services or for meetings which shall not occur more frequently than once per month. Employees. One person may be employed on the site in connection with the home occupation that is not an inhabitant of the dwelling unit.

Full Breakdown

Aurora's Home Occupation Regulations, part of the Residential District Specific Regulations in the zoning code, let residents run listed home businesses (consulting, tutoring, dressmaking, small electronics repair, and dozens more on the Table of Permitted Home Occupations) in the E, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-4A, R-5, and R-5A districts without a special permit. The occupation is capped at 25% of the dwelling unit's floor area, may employ only one person who does not live on site, must stay entirely inside the principal residence with no outside storage or separate entrance, and visitors are barred between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. The rule applies citywide, the same in Kane, DuPage, Will, or Kendall County portions of Aurora.

Violations & Fines

Code enforcement can order a home occupation shut down or scaled back for exceeding the 25% floor-area cap, employing more than one outside worker, adding a separate business entrance, or storing equipment or materials outdoors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much of my Aurora, Illinois home can I use for a home business?
No more than 25% of the dwelling unit's floor area, except for babysitting/day care uses, per § 49-107.3(b).
Can I hire employees for a home business in Aurora?
Only one person who is not a resident of the dwelling may be employed on site.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Aurora

All Aurora rules

How Aurora compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Aurora to another location·View the Illinois home business overview

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Zoning & Home Occupation Permits in Nearby Cities

How other cities in this county handle zoning & home occupation permits.

Elgin, IL
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