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Martin County, FL Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Few Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Zoning status
Permitted accessory use, Category A/B/C districts
Governing statute
Must comply with F.S. § 559.955
No local permit
No separate county home-occupation permit
Still needs
County Business Tax Receipt under Chapter 123
Parking cap
No more parking than similar non-business home

Summary

Martin County allows a home occupation as an accessory use in residential districts, but its own Land Development Regulations defer entirely to state law. LDR § 3.201.C.2.k permits a home occupation in Category A, B and C districts provided the use complies with Florida's home-based business statute, F.S. § 559.955.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Martin County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Home occupation. Any for-profit activity carried out within, or on the same lot as a residential dwelling unit, by a resident of such dwelling unit. ... 2.In all Category "A," "B," "C" districts, the following shall be permitted as an accessory to residential uses: ... k.Home occupation, provided such use shall comply with F.S. § 559.955.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 62 | Land Development Regulations: Supplement 62).

Full Breakdown

Sec. 3, the glossary of the Martin County Land Development Regulations, defines a home occupation as any for-profit activity carried out within, or on the same lot as, a residential dwelling unit, by a resident of that dwelling unit. Sec. 955. ch. 205, and keeps its parking, and any hazardous-material storage, no more intensive than what a similar residence without a business would generate. Because the county's own ordinance simply cross-references the statute rather than layering on its own square-footage caps, employee limits or customer-visit restrictions, Martin County's home occupation rule is effectively as permissive as state law requires: a resident does not need a separate home occupation permit or site plan approval from Growth Management beyond whatever a Martin County Business Tax Receipt requires under the general code.

Article 3, Division 4's Sec. B still require that the home occupation, like any accessory use, be ancillary and incidental to the residential use and located on the same lot as the dwelling. Parking generated by the business cannot exceed what a similar residence without a business would produce, per the statute, and vehicles used for the business must be parked in legal, improved parking spaces off the right-of-way.

Violations & Fines

A home occupation that outgrows the state-law limits, for example by generating parking beyond what a similar residence would produce or by no longer qualifying as ancillary to the residential use under Sec. 3.201.A-B, is enforceable as a zoning violation through Martin County code compliance. Because the county largely defers to F.S. § 559.955, most enforcement questions turn on whether the statute's own conditions are still being met.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run a business from my Martin County home?
Yes. LDR § 3.201.C.2.k lists a home occupation as a permitted accessory use in Category A, B and C residential districts, provided it complies with F.S. § 559.955, Florida's home-based business law. The county does not add its own extra permit or site plan requirement for the home occupation itself beyond that statute and the general accessory-use rules in Sec. 3.201.A-B.
Does Martin County require a separate home occupation permit?
No standalone home occupation permit is described in the Land Development Regulations. Sec. 3.201.C.2.k simply authorizes the use as an accessory to a residence, provided it complies with F.S. § 559.955. A resident still needs a general Martin County Business Tax Receipt to operate any business, home-based or not, under the county's local business tax chapter.
Can my home business generate extra traffic and parking in Martin County?
Not beyond what F.S. § 559.955 allows. The statute, which Sec. 3.201.C.2.k incorporates by reference, limits parking generated by a home-based business to no more than a similar residence without a business would produce, and requires business vehicles to be parked in legal, improved parking spaces rather than on the right-of-way or an unimproved surface.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Martin County

All Martin County rules

How Martin County compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Martin County to another location·View the Florida home business overview

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