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

020, Permit Requirements, is the operative standard for any home-based business in the unincorporated county. 010 frames a home occupation as a use that stays "incidental and secondary to the residential use" and does not change the residential character of the property; anything bigger needs a conditional use permit rather than the administrative home occupation permit. Staffing is capped at family members living on-site in a residential zone, or up to two outside employees if the parcel sits in an agricultural zone. Floor area is capped at 25 percent of the dwelling.

Parcel size and building location matter too: a home occupation run out of a building other than the main residence needs a Conditional Use Permit if the parcel is under 10 acres, or an Administrative Permit plus Site Plan Review if the parcel is 10 acres or larger. The applicant must also show the Glenn County Health Department that the operation meets its requirements before the planning authority will act on the application, and the code bars any home occupation permit for "automobile, truck, or heavy equipment repair" outright, regardless of zone.

The county Director, or a representative, keeps inspection authority over the premises at any time to confirm the business is still following the code and its conditions of approval, and warns operators up front that outgrowing the permitted limits means either applying for a full Conditional Use Permit or relocating to a zone where the larger use is allowed.