Tehama County, CA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Floor space limit
- 25% of dwelling
- Use permit required
- No, if standards are met
- Staffing
- Family only, one cottage-food exception
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Tehama County only
Summary
Tehama County allows home occupations by right in residential and agricultural zones, no discretionary use permit needed, as long as the business stays within 25% of the dwelling and is run only by resident family.
"Home occupation" shall mean any use customarily carried on within a dwelling by the inhabitants thereof ... A. Is confined within the dwelling and occupies not more than twenty-five percent of the floor space thereof; ... C. Is carried on by the members of the family occupying the dwelling, with no other person employed, provided that a cottage food operation ... may have not more than one full-time equivalent cottage food employee ...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Tehama County Code § 17.04.020 defines a 'home occupation' as a dwelling-incidental use confined to no more than 25% of the floor space, carried on only by family members living in the home (one cottage-food employee excepted), with no on-site merchandise sales and no evidence of the business visible beyond a one-square-foot sign. District zoning chapters list 'home occupations' among permitted uses, e.g. § 17.16.020(A) for R-1, § 17.10.020(E) for AG-1, meaning a compliant home occupation needs no discretionary use permit, only compliance with these standards. This governs unincorporated Tehama County only; Red Bluff, Corning and the City of Tehama regulate home businesses under their own codes.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the 25% floor-space cap, hiring non-family staff, or selling merchandise on-site strips the home occupation's by-right status, exposing the operator to zoning enforcement as an unpermitted commercial use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a home business in unincorporated Tehama County?
Can I hire employees for my home occupation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tehama County
How Tehama County compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·California rules heatmap·Compare Tehama County to another location·View the California home business overview
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