Tippecanoe County, IN Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Under Unified Zoning Ordinance § 5-5-2, a home occupation conforming to the county's Third Edition zoning code is permitted as an accessory use to a dwelling in any non-rural, non-floodplain zone, in A/AW/AA zones on lots up to 2 acres, and on residential lots in RE zones. The operator must be a resident of the dwelling and no employees are allowed unless they also live there. No exterior alteration to the primary building or lot may change its residential character, and no activity or storage tied to the occupation may occur outside the primary building.

The code requires one additional off-street parking space beyond what the dwelling itself needs; that space may sit in the front setback but never in the right-of-way. Section 5-5-2(f) bars noise, dust, vibration, smell, smoke, glare, electrical interference, fire or chemical hazard, or traffic hazard beyond what a normal dwelling with no home occupation would generate. Except for items grown or crafted on the premises, no stock in trade may be displayed, stored or sold; the section states a home occupation is neither a retail nor wholesale establishment.

Section 5-5-3(a) lists 15 pre-approved categories, from artists and authors to a one-station barber shop, telecommuters, building contractors, and a state-licensed medical professional with one treatment room. An occupation not on that list can still be approved by the Administrative Officer under 5-5-3(b) if it fits the zone's purpose and is compatible with hours of operation, traffic, lighting, and noise generated by permitted primary uses nearby. If the Administrative Officer later finds a home occupation no longer meets § 5-5-2, § 5-5-3(c) authorizes an order requiring changes to restore compliance.