Tehama County, CA Home Business: Zoning Restrictions (2026)

Under Tehama County's Title 17 (Zoning), a home occupation is a permitted use - not a use requiring a discretionary permit - in the County's residential and agricultural districts. The zoning-district use lists name home occupations directly as a permitted use in the RE (Residential Estate) and R-1 (One-Family Residence) districts, and the AG-1, AG-2, AG-3, and AG-4 agricultural districts permit 'home occupations as defined in Section 17.04.280.' The County's home occupation definition (codified in the Title 17 definitions chapter) requires that the use be customarily carried on within a dwelling by its inhabitants, be incidental to the residential use, be confined within the dwelling, and occupy not more than twenty-five percent of the floor space. The definition also requires that the home occupation produce no evidence of its existence beyond the premises (such as noise, smoke, odors, or vibration) except a sign of not more than one square foot. Because the use is permitted by right, no use permit hearing is generally required as long as the operation stays within these limits; exceeding the floor-space cap, employing non-household workers (beyond the limited cottage-food exception), or generating off-site impacts can push the activity outside the home-occupation category and trigger commercial zoning requirements. Operators should confirm their district and compliance with the Tehama County Planning Department.