Southaven, MS Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Sec. 8-2 is the City of Southaven's home-based business ordinance, adopted by resolution of 2-2-21. Subsection (a) requires a permit from the city as set out in Code sections 8-117 and 8-119, which are the privilege license provisions. To get it, the applicant provides a current State of Mississippi issued photo ID that reflects the home-based business physical address. Post office boxes are not accepted.

The operating limits are strict. No persons other than occupants of the premises can be engaged in the business (subsection (b)). The use of the dwelling unit must be clearly incidental and subordinate to the primary residential use (subsection (c)). There can be no change in the outside appearance of the building, home, structure or premises and no other visible evidence of the business (subsection (d)). Traffic cannot exceed what would normally be expected in a residential neighborhood, parking generated by the business has to be in the driveway, and equipment or processes cannot create noise, vibration, glare or fumes detectable off the property (subsections (e) and (f)). No wholesale or retail establishment is permitted unless it is conducted entirely online or by mail (subsection (g)). Nothing used in the business can be stored outside a principal building or accessory structure (subsection (h)), and the business is conducted entirely within the principal residential building (subsection (i)).

The privilege license fee schedule starts at twenty dollars ($20.00) annually for businesses having three (3) or fewer employees (Sec. 8-119), and each license expires one year from issuance (Sec. 8-120). Sec. 8-121 adds liability for the tax plus a penalty not to exceed $500 for operating without a license.