Harrison County, MS Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Floor area cap
- 25% of dwelling's gross floor area
- Employees
- Family members residing on-site only
- Customers
- No customers or clients at the home
- Vehicle
- 1 company vehicle, under 1-ton capacity
- Section
- UDC § 819.02
Summary
A home business in unincorporated Harrison County only qualifies as a 'home occupation' if it meets seven strict tests in Section 819.02 of the Unified Development Code: no employees outside the family, no signage, no customers at the home, and no more than 25% of the dwelling's floor area.
a. Home occupation use shall be conducted as an accessory use entirely within a dwelling unit and shall not change the character of the dwelling unit nor have any exterior evidence. No signs shall be permitted, except as required by state law. b. No employees shall be permitted to work on the premises, except for family members residing in the dwelling unit. ... f. No customers or clients may be seen at the home.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
02, Home Occupation, of the Harrison County Unified Development Code lists standards a home-based business must meet to qualify as the mildest of the county's three home-business tiers; the section warns up front that 'home occupations not meeting any or all of the following standards will not be considered a home occupation,' meaning the use has to move up to the more intensive home employment or rural home business categories instead. The standards are specific: the business must be conducted entirely within the dwelling unit with no exterior evidence and no signs except as state law requires; no employees are allowed on the premises other than family members who live there; the area devoted to the business can't exceed 25% of the dwelling's gross floor area; outside storage tied to the business is prohibited outright; no customers or clients may be seen at the home; and no equipment may produce detectable fumes, odors, dust, heat, noise, vibration, glare, electro-magnetic interference, or other effects that reach outside the dwelling, including through party walls.
One vehicle bearing company identification is allowed as an accessory to the business, provided it's under one ton capacity and isn't stored with a trailer in the front yard. 04 imposes on home employment, though a use exceeding these limits has to reclassify and go through that process instead.
Violations & Fines
A home business that exceeds any Section 819.02 standard, taking on a non-family employee, seeing customers at the house, producing noise or fumes detectable outside the dwelling, or using more than 25% of the floor area, no longer qualifies as a home occupation and must obtain conditional use approval as a home employment or rural home business, or cease operating from the residence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies as a 'home occupation' in unincorporated Harrison County?
Can I have an employee help with my home-based business?
Can customers visit my home occupation business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Harrison County
How Harrison County compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Harrison County to another location·View the Mississippi home business overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.