Del Norte County, CA Home Business: Zoning Restrictions (2026)

The Del Norte County zoning ordinance defines and limits home occupations so that residential neighborhoods keep their residential character. In the county's coastal zoning code (Title 21), section 21.04.330 defines a home occupation as a use conducted entirely within a dwelling by its inhabitants that is clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the property for dwelling purposes and does not change the character of the dwelling. The ordinance sets out specific conditions: the use must be confined within the dwelling and occupy no more than 25 percent of its floor space; it may involve no sales of merchandise other than goods produced on the premises or items directly related and incidental to the services offered; it must be carried on by members of the family occupying the dwelling with no other person employed; it must not convert a room into a salesroom; it must produce no evidence of its existence beyond the dwelling (other than an unlighted sign of not more than one square foot) such as noise, smoke, odors, or vibration; and it must not generate pedestrian or vehicular traffic beyond what is normal for the neighborhood. The ordinance also expressly excludes certain uses from qualifying as home occupations: clinics, hospitals, antique shops, tea rooms, eating establishments, specialty bakeries, barbershops or beauty shops exceeding one operator, animal hospitals, and commercial woodworking or repair shops are not home occupations. These standards apply to home-based businesses in the unincorporated county. Because Del Norte County has both a coastal zoning code (Title 21) and a non-coastal zoning code (Title 20), the exact section number and any procedural steps can differ by location, so a home-based business operator should confirm which title applies to their parcel with the Planning Division at (707) 464-7254.