Gordon County, GA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Section 5.01.00 of the Gordon County, Georgia Unified Land Development Code treats a home occupation as an accessory use to residential development. Section 5.01.01(A) permits one in a lawfully established dwelling unit in any zoning district where residential uses are permissible, and every home occupation must meet the Section 5.01.02 standards.

Section 5.01.01(B) lists the qualifying uses: professional offices such as attorneys, drafters, realtors, insurance agents, engineers and architects; instruction or teaching with no more than two (2) students at any one time; administrative or clerical support; personal services such as a beauty or barber shop, nail technician or tailoring limited to one (1) station; pet grooming; day care for six (6) or fewer children; a licensed medical practitioner excluding veterinarians; manufacturers' representatives; and studios for artists, photographers or artisans. A use not on the list is measured under Section 5.01.01(C) by the tasks and activities normally associated with it and their similarity to a listed use.

The standards in Section 5.01.02 are specific. The business must hold a Gordon County business license, must be clearly incidental to the residential use, and cannot change the residential character of the building or require internal or external alterations inconsistent with it. It cannot occupy more than thirty (30) percent of one (1) floor of the dwelling. Products for sale or use cannot be visible from the street or adjacent properties, outside storage of materials is prohibited, and the occupation cannot be conducted in an accessory building, although storage of materials there is permissible. Section 5.01.02 also limits employees to the residents of the dwelling, allows up to two (2) commercial vehicles, and bars customer visits from 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Yard and garage sales are a separate category: Section 5.03.07 allows them in rural and residential districts for a three (3) day consecutive period, no more than four (4) times a year, and never as a home occupation.