Carroll County, MD Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

02(A)(9), which governs accessory uses in the county's Residential Districts, a home occupation is permitted subject to Zoning Administrator approval following submittal of a signed affidavit stating that the use does not utilize more than 500 square feet, does not involve retail sales from the premises, involves no outside evidence that the dwelling is used for anything other than residential purposes other than a sign not exceeding three square feet, and involves no customers coming to the dwelling. 02(A)(2). 002 describes a HOME OCCUPATION as "a use of a dwelling, conducted solely by a resident, or use of any accessory building which is incidental or subordinate to the main use of the principal building for dwelling purposes," distinguishing it from a COTTAGE INDUSTRY, which the code treats as a separate, larger-scale use.

Because the standard is enforced through an affidavit rather than a discretionary site plan, an operator who signs a false or inaccurate affidavit, or later expands beyond its terms, converts the use into an unpermitted commercial operation in a residential or agricultural zone. 070's use table and cross-referenced sign standards, and any exterior modification signaling the commercial use, such as customer parking areas or product displays, breaches the affidavit's no-outside-evidence condition. Property owners considering a home business should file the affidavit with the Zoning Administrator's office before starting operations, since the standard is a use-by-affidavit, not a self-certifying exemption.