Santa Ana Zoning Restrictions Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

Santa Ana's zoning code, codified in Municipal Code Chapter 41, allows home occupations as accessory uses in residential zones subject to performance standards designed to maintain the residential character of neighborhoods. Given Santa Ana's position as the county seat and one of the most densely populated cities in California, these standards are carefully calibrated to prevent commercial encroachment into residential areas where homes are often situated in close proximity to one another.

A home occupation is defined as a business activity conducted within a dwelling unit or approved accessory building by a resident of that dwelling. To operate legally, the business owner must obtain a City of Santa Ana business license through the Finance and Management Agency. The business license application requires the applicant to demonstrate that the proposed business activity will comply with all home occupation performance standards.

The physical footprint of the home occupation is limited to no more than 25% of the total floor area of the dwelling unit. The business must be conducted entirely indoors — no outdoor storage of materials, inventory, equipment, supplies, or vehicles associated with the business is permitted. The property must not exhibit any visible evidence of commercial activity from the street or surrounding properties: no signage, no commercial vehicles with visible business advertising parked in driveways or on the street, and no physical alterations to the dwelling that would change its residential appearance.

Staffing is restricted: the home occupation must be operated primarily by the resident(s) of the dwelling. No more than one non-resident employee may work on the premises at any given time. This limitation is designed to prevent traffic, parking, and noise impacts inconsistent with a residential setting. Businesses that require multiple simultaneous on-site employees, regular commercial deliveries, or frequent visits by customers are not compatible with the home occupation model.

Certain business types are expressly prohibited as home occupations in Santa Ana. These include automobile repair, painting, or body work; retail sales with walk-in customers; barbershops and beauty salons serving non-resident clients; manufacturing, assembly, or fabrication of products that generate noise, fumes, dust, or vibration detectable beyond the property line; and any activity involving the storage of hazardous materials. Compatible business types include professional consulting, freelance writing and graphic design, tutoring by appointment, accounting, bookkeeping, software development, and similar desk-based professional services.

Contact the Santa Ana Planning and Building Agency at (714) 647-5804 for guidance on whether a specific business type qualifies as a home occupation, or the Finance and Management Agency at (714) 647-5400 for business license information.