Memphis, TN Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- UDC § 2.7.4, Home Occupations
- Employee limit
- One non-family employee at most
- Floor-area cap
- 25% of first floor space
- Public contact hours
- 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. only
- Group instruction cap
- Over 10 students at once prohibited
- Applies to
- City of Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County
Summary
Memphis and Shelby County zoning lets residents run a home occupation without a special permit as long as it stays clearly incidental to the home's residential use, involves no more than one non-family employee, uses no more than 25% of the first floor, and limits public contact to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nearly 30 uses, from vehicle repair to tattoo studios, are outright banned.
A. Prohibited Home Occupations: The following uses are not permitted as home occupations. ... 14. Child care center. ... B. Standards: The intent of a home occupation is to permit very limited nonresidential activity in a residential dwelling or accessory structure to a residential dwelling, provided such activity does not impact or detract from the residential character of the neighborhood. ... 3. No business storage or warehousing of material, supplies or equipment shall be permitted outside of the primary dwelling unit ... 6. A home occupation shall be subject to all applicable licenses and business taxes. 7. No more than one person, other than members of the family residing on the premises, shall be engaged in the home occupation. 8. Storage space and the operation of the business inside the dwelling unit may not exceed 25% of the first floor area of the residence. 9. Only one customer shall be permitted at the residence at a time ... 10. All public contact related to the home occupation shall be limited to the period between 7AM to 8PM. 11. No signage specifically associated with the home occupation shall be permitted.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
4 of the Unified Development Code, which governs home occupations the same way in the City of Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County, opens with a list of nearly 30 uses that can never qualify as a home occupation, including vehicle and body/fender repair, small engine repair, outdoor mechanical work, restaurants, funeral homes, animal hospitals and kennels (grooming and boarding included), stand-alone child care centers, beauty salons or barber shops serving more than one client at a time, adult-oriented establishments, body piercing and tattoo studios, massage parlors, warehousing, and welding or machine shops.
B treats the home occupation as an accessory use requiring no further zoning approval, provided it stays clearly incidental and subordinate to the dwelling's residential use and causes no change in the building's outside appearance. ; no business signage at all; and adequate off-street parking that cannot occupy a required front yard beyond an existing driveway. 24, and more than ten students at any one time is prohibited no matter what approval is sought.
Violations & Fines
A home occupation that exceeds the 25% floor-area cap, hires more than one outside employee, posts signage, runs past 8 p.m., or falls on the prohibited-use list can be shut down by code enforcement, denied its business license renewal, or cited, and unpermitted group instruction beyond ten students at a time is grounds for a stop-work or cease-operation order regardless of any permit sought.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a home-based business in Memphis?
Can I teach music lessons or tutor students from my home?
Can I run a dog grooming or boarding business from my house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Memphis
How Memphis compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Memphis to another location·View the Tennessee home business overview
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