Racine County, WI Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Floor-area cap
- 1/2 of any floor, max
- Outside employees
- Max 2 non-family workers
- Permit type
- Temporary, non-transferable
- Tenant rule
- Owner's written OK required
- Banned activity
- Firearm sales, vehicle repair
Summary
Racine County requires a permit for home occupations, capping them at half a dwelling's floor area, two outside employees, and issuing the permit only to the resident who applies, not transferable.
A home occupation is any gainful occupation or profession engaged in by an occupant of a dwelling unit which meets the following criteria: (1) The occupation must be clearly incidental to the use of the dwelling unit as a residence, with one-half (½) or less of any floor being used for the home occupation. ... Permits granted under this section shall be temporary in nature (they do not run with the land) and shall be granted to a designated person who resides at a specific residential address. The permits are not transferable from person to person, or from address to address.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 20-1015 defines a home occupation as any gainful occupation run by a dwelling's occupant, so long as it uses half or less of any floor, produces no outdoor storage or display, employs no more than two people outside the immediate family, and stays invisible to neighbors apart from one nameplate sign. The permit itself is temporary and tied to a specific person at a specific address: it doesn't run with the land, and a tenant needs the property owner's written approval before the county will issue one. Selling firearms or ammunition, and servicing vehicles for non-owners, are both barred outright.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell products from my Racine County home business?
Does a home occupation permit transfer if I sell my house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Racine County
How Racine County compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Racine County to another location·View the Wisconsin home business overview
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