Olmsted County, MN Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

02 sets the countywide standard for home businesses in any district where they are authorized: the use cannot occupy more than 25% of the dwelling's total floor area, and no interior or exterior alteration may exceed 25% of the estimated building value on the current Olmsted County property records. Emissions, discharges, odor, dust, noise, electrical disturbance, glare or vibration cannot exceed Minnesota Pollution Control Agency standards, parking generated by the business must be off-street and outside the required front and side-street yards, and adult establishments and cannabis businesses are barred as home occupations entirely.

B layers on additional requirements: only a household member living on the premises may be employed, the business must be conducted entirely within the dwelling and no more than one accessory structure (apart from pools, tennis courts and similar outdoor recreation, or outdoor daycare facilities), and no more than two licensed, operable vehicles connected to the business may be visible on the property, limited to two-axle, six-tire single-unit vehicles under the Federal Highway Administration's classification, with no vehicle sign exceeding 40 square feet per side.

Permitted uses in those districts include professional offices (attorneys, doctors, dentists, financial, insurance, real estate, engineering, advertising, artist or photo studios), limited personal services, on-premises production of apparel and similar goods, certain retail of goods made on-site, and small repair services such as jewelry or watch repair; any other home business must go through the conditional use permit process.