Salt Lake City, UT Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 21A.36.030
- Client visits
- Max 2/hour, 1 at a time
- Visitation hours
- 8:00 AM–10:00 PM
- Outside employees
- 1 maximum
- License term
- 1 year, renewable
Summary
Salt Lake City allows home occupations in any dwelling citywide, but the business must stay clearly secondary to residential use and follow strict operating limits under § 21A.36.030.
B. Permitted Home Occupations: All home occupations not specifically listed as prohibited may be permitted subject to their compliance with the standards specified in Subsections G and H of this section... G.12. Home occupations involving visitations from pedestrian or vehicular traffic shall only be conducted between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 40-26, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Salt Lake City's zoning code permits home occupations in every residential dwelling as long as the standards in § 21A.36.030 are met: no separate zoning district approval is needed. The business must be incidental to the home's residential use, run by the resident, confined to the interior (or a garage/accessory structure), limited to one outside employee, and barred from carports or yards. Client visits are capped at two per hour, one at a time, between 8:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M. A city business license from the Business Licensing Division is required before operating.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required Business License Division permit, exceeding the client-visitation cap, running a prohibited use (auto repair, kennel, welding shop, commercial bakery, etc.), or exceeding one outside employee are code violations subject to license denial, revocation, or termination by the zoning administrator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a home business in Salt Lake City?
Can clients visit my home-based business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake City
How Salt Lake City compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Salt Lake City to another location·View the Utah home business overview
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Zoning & Home Occupation Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle zoning & home occupation permits.