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

Division 6 of Chapter 16 governs home occupations citywide. 1 makes a home occupation permit mandatory before conducting any business from a dwelling unit, and Section 16-401 puts the director in charge of issuing it, with authority to attach reasonable conditions to mitigate potential adverse impacts. A city business license under Chapter 11 must be obtained before or at the same time as the permit application, and the applicant stays responsible for every other city, county, state and federal requirement, including zoning law compliance; paying the license tax is not a city endorsement of the business.

Section 16-402 sets tight deadlines: the approved use must start within 30 days or the permit is automatically void, and it lapses again if the use stops for more than 30 days or the business license is not kept current. Section 16-403's operating standards fix the zoning envelope: the occupation must run entirely indoors within the dwelling or an accessory building and cannot exceed 25% of the gross floor area of one floor, no structural alterations may wall it off from the rest of the house, and it cannot encroach into required parking, setback or open space areas.

A home garage used for the business must still keep its required parking spaces open, and only one vehicle, two axles maximum and under 10,000 pounds, may park at the property. , and Section 16-404 bans alcohol, explosives, hazardous waste or firearms storage outright as home occupations.