Washington County, MD Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Article 28A of the Washington County Zoning Ordinance defines "Home Occupation" as any use of a dwelling or accessory building conducted solely by a member of the resident family, incidental or subordinate to the dwelling's residential use, that meets all of the following: it does not exceed 2,500 square feet of the floor space of the dwelling or accessory structure (criterion A); it does not generate vehicular parking, freight and delivery traffic, or other nonresidential traffic beyond what residential occupancy would normally produce (criterion B); it generates no outside storage of equipment or supplies (criterion C); and it shows no evidence visible, audible, or abnormally odoriferous from outside the dwelling indicating a nonresidential use (criterion E).

3(b) lists "incidental home occupations" among the accessory uses allowed in the "RU" Residential, Urban District, and equivalent accessory-use sections repeat the listing in the county's other residential district articles. 2(a); the Zoning Administrator must approve or disapprove the application within sixty (60) days of filing, and inaction for sixty days automatically counts as approval. A zoning permit becomes void one year after issuance if the permitted use has not started, and it is revocable if the home occupation later stops complying with the criteria.