Oakland, CA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

112 of the Planning Code, and the rules apply citywide regardless of zone. 020 defines a 'home occupation' as an accessory, nonresidential activity performed inside a living unit or an attached or detached garage or accessory structure reserved for an occupant, or, for Limited Agricultural Activities, in an outdoor area on the same lot. 030 disqualifies several activities from ever counting as a home occupation: introductory services; teaching classes of more than six people at a time; hosting more than four paying guests in a one-family dwelling, or any paying guests in other Residential Facility types; running a beauty parlor with more than two hair-drying machines; keeping a construction contractor's storage or construction yard; boarding or treating animals for profit; using mechanized farm equipment; and on-site car or truck repair.

040(E) further limits what can be sold on the premises to goods actually produced there, unless the business acts as an off-site agent between suppliers and customers. 112; applicants describing activities involving hazardous materials must submit a site plan, floor plan, and list of machinery and materials for review by the Building Services Division and Fire Department. The Director can also set a termination date for periodic re-review of an approved home occupation.