Lakewood, NJ Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Every residential Design Regulations block in UDO § 18-902 lists home occupations among the accessory uses permitted in that district, then attaches the same seven-part standard, for example at § 18-902B3e for the R-40 zone. A qualifying home occupation cannot employ more than two people at a time who are not members of the household, and it has to be conducted so it primarily brings no more than one client at a time to the property. The dwelling has to keep its residential look: the exterior character of the structure cannot be compromised by the business, and no more than 25% of the dwelling's total floor area can be devoted to the use.

The standard bars any outdoor storage or display of materials, products, or equipment tied to the business, and if a non-resident is employed in connection with the home occupation, the property must provide one off-street parking space beyond what the dwelling itself requires. Deliveries are limited to UPS, FedEx, or similar carrier services rather than regular commercial freight traffic. Because this standard is written into the Design Regulations for each residential district rather than as a single townwide section, the same seven conditions repeat, district by district, from the Agricultural (A-1) zone through the Township's smaller residential zones, so a home business anywhere in Lakewood answers to the identical set of limits regardless of which residential district it sits in.