Paterson, NJ Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Where allowed
- Any dwelling, no zone limit
- Floor limit
- Single floor only (1-2 family)
- On-site sales
- Not permitted
- Visitor cap
- 2 visits per hour
Summary
Paterson allows a home business inside any dwelling in any zoning district as long as it stays on one floor, skips accessory buildings, sells nothing on-site, and draws no more than two visitors an hour.
Home businesses in single-and two-family dwellings shall be limited to a single floor in the dwelling. No home business shall be conducted in any accessory building.
F. Off-street parking requirements must be satisfied in accordance with this Ordinance.
187 City of Paterson, Zoning Ordinance Chapter 500 Zoning
G. There shall be no on-premise sale, distribution or delivery of goods in connection with such home business.
H. The rate of visits by clients, patients or other types of visitors per hour to the home business shall not exceed two (2) per hour.
I. There shall be no delivery vehicles in excess of that associated with the residential use on site.
I. No equipment or process shall be used in such home business which creates noise, glare, fumes, odors, electrical interference, medical waste or nuisance factors detectable to the normal sense or to radio, telephone or television equipment off the lot.
�500-5.35. Tattoo, Body Piercing and Skin Art Studios
A. Waiting and Display Areas. Tattoo samples inside the studio and any other artwork inside the studio shall be displayed in professionally matted and framed panels. Frames must include glass glazing. Tattoo samples shall not be displayed in such a manner as to be visible to the general public outside the studio. There shall be no outdoor scats or ledges that could be used for
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 483's home business standard doesn't carve out particular zoning districts: it applies inside any dwelling city-wide, provided the use stays clearly secondary to the residence. In a one- or two-family home the business is confined to a single floor and can't be run from a garage or shed, no goods may be sold, distributed or delivered on-site, and client or patient visits are capped at two per hour, on top of the residency and floor-area limits in §500-5.34.A-C. This is Article V, certified as adopted February 9, 2016; confirm no later amendment with the City Clerk's office.
Violations & Fines
Running a home business from an accessory building, selling goods on-site, or exceeding two visitors an hour takes the use outside the permitted conditional-use conditions and can be cited.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Paterson home business restricted to certain zoning districts?
Can a Paterson home business sell products from the house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paterson
How Paterson compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Paterson to another location·View the New Jersey home business overview
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