Marin County, CA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Section 22.32.100 defines a home occupation as 'any use customarily conducted entirely on properties where residences are authorized and carried on only by its residents,' with the use 'secondary to a residential use, and compatible with surrounding uses.' Operating standards under subsection B require that: (1) the home occupation be 'clearly secondary to the full-time residential use of the property' and not cause noise or odors atypical of residential use; (2) it 'shall not require any modification not customarily found in a dwelling' and shall not be 'visible from the adjoining public right-of-way or from neighboring properties'; (4) it 'shall not impact the on-street parking in the neighborhood'; (5) it shall not change fire-safety or occupancy classifications and shall not store flammable, explosive, or hazardous materials except as approved by the County Fire Department under Title 16; (6) it shall not create 'dust, electrical interference, fumes, gas, glare, light, noise, odor, smoke, toxic/hazardous materials, vibration, or other hazards or nuisances'; and (7) it 'may have a maximum of one nonresident employee, and may only exceed this number with a Conditional Use Permit.' Subsection C lists prohibited home occupations: adult businesses, dance or night clubs, mini storage, storage of equipment for construction/service trades, vehicle repair (body or mechanical), upholstery, automobile detailing and painting, welding and machining, any use 'which generates more than one client appointment at a time,' and any other use the Director determines incompatible with residential activities.