Mobile, AL Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Floor-area cap
- 25% of dwelling
- Employees allowed
- Residents only, no outside hires
- Customer visits
- One at a time, max
- Vehicle parked overnight
- 1 car/van/pickup plus 1 trailer
- Storage building
- Freestanding shed or garage barred
Summary
Mobile allows home-based businesses as an accessory residential use under strict conditions: no on-site sale of goods not made in the home, a 25% floor-area cap, no non-resident employees, and only one customer visit at a time.
B.Conditions.1.No article shall be sold or offered for sale from the dwelling unless it is produced inside of the dwelling by the dwelling occupants.2.Home occupations shall not occupy more than twenty-five (25) percent of the floor area of the dwelling.3.The services shall be performed by persons occupying the home as their private dwelling.4.No additional persons who do not live in the dwelling shall be employed in the home occupation on the property.5.No more than one (1) customer visit is allowed on the property at any time.6.A commercial vehicle, limited to one standard sized car, van, or pickup, and one open or one enclosed trailer not to exceed twenty-six (26) feet in length, may be parked overnight on the property.(a)The vehicle and the trailer may include advertising for the business.(b)The vehicle and the trailer may be used for equipment storage.7.No freestanding storage building or garage may be used in association with the home occupation. (Ord. No. 64-017-2022, 7-12-22)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67).
Full Breakdown
Mobile City Code § 64-4-2 permits home occupations as an accessory use of a dwelling, incidental to its residential use. Conditions include: no article may be sold from the dwelling unless it is produced there by the residents; the business cannot occupy more than 25 percent of the dwelling's floor area; only people who live in the home may work in it, with no outside employees; only one customer may visit the property at a time; one commercial vehicle (car, van, or pickup) plus one trailer up to 26 feet may be parked overnight and may carry business advertising; and no freestanding storage building or garage may be used for the business.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the 25 percent floor-area cap, hiring non-resident employees, hosting more than one customer at a time, or using a freestanding shed for the business voids the home-occupation exemption and exposes the operator to code enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell products online from my Mobile home without them being homemade?
Can I hire an employee for my home-based business in Mobile?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mobile
How Mobile compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Mobile to another location·View the Alabama home business overview
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