Alpine County, CA Home Business: Zoning Restrictions (2026)

Alpine County is entirely unincorporated, so the County zoning ordinance (Title 18) governs home businesses countywide, including in Markleeville and Bear Valley. ACC 18.70.020 allows a home occupation in any zone that permits residential use, and the residential zones list home occupations as a permitted use (ACC 18.32.020 for RE Residential Estate and ACC 18.36.020 for RN Residential Neighborhood). The operating standards in ACC 18.70.090 require that the home occupation be clearly secondary and incidental to the residential use (subsection A); be confined completely within the dwelling, attached or detached garage, or accessory structure on the same lot, with no outdoor use (subsection B); occupy no more than the lesser of 25 percent of the primary dwelling's gross floor area or 800 square feet (subsection C); and employ only residents plus one nonresident employee, who must park on the property, not the street (subsection D). Customer visits and deliveries are limited to 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (subsection E), and the business may not create dust, noise, odor, glare, or other nuisance beyond the property line (subsection F). A larger or more intensive operation needs an 'expanded home occupation' conditional use permit from the Planning Commission under ACC 18.70.120.