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

150 defines a home occupation as a business conducted inside a residential dwelling without changing the appearance or conditions of the residence or neighborhood, and lists specific uses the city will not approve at all: schools, boarding or lodging houses, antique shops, barber shops or beauty parlors beyond one appointment-only chair, funeral homes, gift shops, medical or dental clinics, animal hospitals or grooming, day care centers, private clubs, restaurants, auto or boat repair shops, and kennels are all excluded under subsection (b). For businesses that are not excluded, subsection (a)(7) caps the space used at no more than twenty-five percent of the area of one floor of the residence, and subsection (a)(6) limits exterior signage to a single nameplate of one-half square foot mounted flat against the wall.

Subsection (c) sets the application process: an applicant files with the community development and sustainability department on a city form with the required filing fee, and the department's decision is final unless someone appeals to the planning commission within fifteen days. Approved home occupations are not permanent: subsection (e) makes every permit valid for two years from the date of approval, and a renewal request has to go to the department in writing, with the fee, at least one month before expiration. The director can void a permit at any time for noncompliance with the criteria under subsection (d).