San Bernardino County, CA Home Business: Zoning Restrictions (2026)

San Bernardino County Development Code Chapter 84.12 (Home Occupations) governs home-based businesses in the unincorporated County. Home occupations are commercial uses that are accessory and incidental to a residential land use and that do not alter the character or appearance of the residential environment. The Code separates them into three classes. Class I has no neighborhood impact (work by phone, mail, or internet, or activities of artists, music teachers, and tutors) and is allowed in residential zoning districts in the Desert, Mountain, and Valley Regions with no permit required. Class II has limited impact (generally one nonresident employee, limited customers) and is allowed in all three regions with a Special Use Permit renewable every 24 months. Class III is more intense, may involve direct sales to the public and up to five nonresident employees, requires a parcel of at least one acre, and is allowed only in the Desert Region with a Special Use Permit. Section 84.12.050 prohibits certain uses as home occupations, including animal hospitals, motor vehicle repair, kennels or catteries, massage parlors, medical and dental offices, riding stables, welding and machining, and vermicomposting; in the Desert Region these may be allowed on parcels over 2.5 acres with Director approval. Note that childcare facilities are excluded from this chapter and are governed separately.