Tulsa, OK Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Type 1 home occupation
- No clients/employees, by-right
- Type 2 home occupation
- Clients or 1 employee, needs special exception
- Type 2 client cap
- 3 clients/customers at a time
- Approval body for Type 2
- Board of Adjustment
- Governing law
- Tulsa Zoning Code § 45.100
Summary
Tulsa splits home businesses into Type 1 (no clients or employees, by-right) and Type 2 (clients or one employee, special exception required) under the zoning code.
C.Types of home occupations. Two (2) types of home occupations are defined and regulated under this section: Type 1 and type 2.1.Type 1 home occupations. Type 1 home occupations are those in which household residents use their home as a place of work, with no employees, customers or clients coming to the site.2.Type 2 home occupations. Type 2 home occupations are those in which household residents use their home as a place of work and either employees or customers come to the site.
Full Breakdown
Tulsa Zoning Code Section 45.100 regulates home occupations as an accessory use to a residential dwelling. Type 1 home occupations have no employees, customers, or clients visiting the property and are allowed as of right. Type 2 home occupations involve clients, customers, or an employee coming to the site and require special exception approval from the Board of Adjustment under the Section 70.120 procedures. Type 2 uses are capped at three clients or customers on site at once and a single nonresident employee, but not both together. Prohibited home occupations include vehicle repair, taxi and tow services, animal boarding, restaurants, and funeral services, and no exterior signage, display, or structural change may alter the home's residential character.
Violations & Fines
Operating a Type 2 home occupation (clients or an employee on site) without special exception approval, exceeding the three-client cap, having both nonresident employees and on-site clients, or violating the prohibited-use or exterior-alteration rules can bring code enforcement action and revocation of the zoning clearance or certificate of occupancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a home business in Tulsa without a permit?
Do clients coming to my Tulsa home business require approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tulsa
How Tulsa compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Tulsa to another location·View the Oklahoma home business overview
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Zoning & Home Occupation Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle zoning & home occupation permits.