Detroit, MI Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit
- None required if compliant
- Size cap
- 25% of unit or 500 sq ft
- Employees in R1/R2
- Zero non-resident employees
- Employees elsewhere
- Up to two non-resident employees
- Retail sales
- Prohibited except pickup/mail orders
Summary
Detroit lets home occupations run without a permit if they stay incidental to the dwelling, but zoning caps their size, staff, and visibility, and bars retail sales outright.
Home occupations that comply with the regulations of this subdivision are allowed within a dwelling unit, without need for a permit or registration unless otherwise specified in this subdivision, where such home occupation is incidental and subordinate to the use of the dwelling for residential purposes.
(Code 1984, § 61-12-381; Ord. No. 11-05, § 1(61-12-381), eff. 5-28-2005; Ord. No. 31-15, § 1(61-12-381), eff. 3-1-2016)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Under Detroit City Code § 50-12-481, a home occupation needs no permit or registration as long as it stays incidental and subordinate to the dwelling's residential use. Section 50-12-483 caps floor area at 25 percent of the unit or 500 square feet (45 percent for lofts). Section 50-12-484 bars non-resident employees in R1 and R2 districts and caps them at two elsewhere, with a matching off-street parking space required for each under § 50-12-485. The operator must live in the unit (§ 50-12-486), there can be no visible sign of the business from the street (§ 50-12-489), and retail or wholesale sales are prohibited except arts-and-crafts pickups and mail/phone/online orders (§ 50-12-491).
Violations & Fines
A home occupation that exceeds these standards is treated as an unpermitted use; Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department can order it stopped, and unresolved cases proceed through Chapter 3 administrative hearings with civil fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a home business in Detroit?
Can I hire employees to work from my Detroit home business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Detroit
How Detroit compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Detroit to another location·View the Michigan home business overview
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Zoning & Home Occupation Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle zoning & home occupation permits.