Boca Raton, FL Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Sec. 28-1533 permits home-based businesses only as an accessory use to a residential dwelling, and subsection (2) makes it a Code violation to operate one without both a certificate of use and a business tax receipt from the city, which may attach reasonable conditions to the certificate. Subsection (3)'s standards are detailed: employment is limited to permanent residents of the dwelling plus up to 2 non-resident employees or contractors working on-site, though additional remote employees working elsewhere are unrestricted; floor area devoted to the business cannot exceed 25 percent of the dwelling's gross floor area (excluding porches, garages, and carports); activity must occur entirely within the dwelling unit itself, not accessory structures, though incidental activity may extend to other parts of the property; there must be no external evidence of the business, no exterior modifications inconsistent with the neighborhood's residential character, and no outdoor storage, display, or sale of goods; no goods may be sold or physically transferred to a customer on the premises, and transactions not involving physical goods must be conducted from inside the dwelling; the business cannot generate noise, vibration, glare, heat, fumes, dust, or electromagnetic interference beyond what applies to residential uses generally; and parking demand cannot exceed what a similar residence without a business would generate.

The city may inspect the premises to verify compliance and investigate complaints under subsection (3)(h). A denied, conditioned, suspended, or terminated certificate of use may be appealed to the planning and zoning board under subsection (5), following the procedures in Sec. 28-10. The section was renamed from "Home occupations" to "Home-based businesses" by Ord. No. 5615, Sec. 2, adopted July 26, 2022.