Santa Clara, CA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

120 of the Title 18 Zoning Code governs Home Occupations in every dwelling unit citywide, including mobile homes, as an incidental use of the dwelling. No home occupation can start before the Community Development Department issues a Zoning Clearance confirming compliance with Table 4-1 (Home Occupation Standards) and the applicant has agreed in writing to operate within the section's requirements; a City Business Tax Certificate alone shall in no way signify authorization of a Home Occupation. Table 4-1 requires the dwelling to be the operator's primary residence, and bars any employee, assistant, or volunteer unless the dwelling is also that person's primary residence, with a narrow exception for cottage food uses under the State Cottage Food Act.

On space, the home occupation shall be conducted entirely within the dwelling and shall not be conducted within a garage, accessory structure, or outdoors, and is capped at no more than 25 percent of the dwelling's floor area, excluding the garage. The use must be accessed from within the dwelling, with no separate exterior entrance, cannot generate pedestrian or vehicular traffic beyond what is normal for the neighborhood, and cannot use or store hazardous, flammable, combustible, or explosive materials beyond quantities customarily incidental to a dwelling.

Only one commercial vehicle, capped at 8,000 pounds manufacturer's gross vehicle weight, is allowed on the premises, and it must leave the neighborhood at least once every 72 hours or be stored inside an enclosed structure. 120 also lists categorically prohibited uses, including animal hospitals, boarding houses for more than one guest, massage other than certified massage, and several vehicle-related trades.