Anne Arundel County, MD Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning status
- Conditional use, all residential districts
- Floor area cap
- 25% of dwelling
- Nonresident employees
- One maximum
- Allowed trades
- 19 enumerated categories only
- First violation fine
- $125 civil citation
Summary
Home occupations are a conditional use across every Anne Arundel County residential zoning district, capped at 25% of dwelling floor area and limited to a fixed list of trades.
A home occupation shall be located and conducted entirely in a principal dwelling unit and shall be incidental and secondary to the use of the structure as a dwelling. (2) A home occupation may not change the character of the dwelling unit and may not exceed 25% of the total floor area... (4) The operator of a home occupation shall be a resident of the dwelling unit... (5) No more than one nonresident may be employed in the home occupation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-93: County Code is current through May, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under the county's residential use chart, a home occupation is a conditional use ("C") in every residential district, not a by-right use, so it needs conditional use approval before it can operate. Section 18-10-142 then sets the operating standards: the business must run entirely inside the principal dwelling, stay incidental to the home's residential use, and can't take up more than 25% of the dwelling's floor area. It must be one of nineteen enumerated trades, crafts studios, salons, tutoring for up to six students, licensed sole-practitioner massage, cottage food, pet grooming, and similar low-impact work, run by a resident of the home, with no more than one nonresident employee, no outside storage, and no sale of goods not made on site.
Violations & Fines
The Office of Planning and Zoning investigates complaints and can issue an administrative order to cure the violation; ignoring it or running an unapproved or noncompliant home occupation draws a civil citation, $125 for a first zoning violation, $500 for a second, $1,000 for any after that, plus up to $500 per day in court-ordered civil penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run any home-based business in unincorporated Anne Arundel County?
Do I need approval before starting a home occupation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anne Arundel County
How Anne Arundel County compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Anne Arundel County to another location·View the Maryland home business overview
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