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

156 of the Mendocino County Code governs home occupations, and Sec. 005 states the intent directly: the chapter provides for the accessory use of a dwelling or accessory building on the same parcel as the dwelling for gainful employment involving the manufacture, provision, or sale of goods and services, but the use must be clearly incidental and secondary to the residential use and must not change or adversely affect the residential or rural character of the property or its surroundings. 160 that does require an Administrative Permit.

That does not mean home occupations are unregulated: Sec. 005 specifies the use is still subject to all conditions of the Division generally, including off-street parking, plus any other permits required under the County Code such as building permits and business licenses. Sec. 010 adds a companion general standard, that the particular uses conducted as the home occupation, and their operation and appearance, must not change or disturb the residential or rural character of the premises or its surroundings. 015, but the zoning-level threshold for whether a home business qualifies as a home occupation at all runs through these two sections first.