Shawnee County, KS Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Sec. 02(a)(9) allows a home occupation as an accessory use "provided the same does not detract from the residential character of a neighborhood and will not cause excessive traffic, nuisance or hazards to safety," and then lists ten standards every home occupation must meet. The operator must be a resident of the dwelling, and no more than one non-resident employee is permitted. The exterior of the home cannot be changed or modified, no goods may be sold on-site, and all equipment, materials and work in progress must stay inside the principal dwelling rather than an attached garage.

The use cannot occupy more than 25 percent of the dwelling's total floor area, including any basement, and only one home occupation may operate in a dwelling at a time. Before starting, the property owner must apply to the Shawnee County zoning administrator, who issues a home occupation permit once satisfied the standards are met and may attach conditions on its duration and scope. The permit must be displayed inside the dwelling and at the site of the activity, is not transferable to a new owner or tenant, and becomes void if the home occupation is discontinued or abandoned for 60 days.

The zoning administrator may inspect the premises at any reasonable time, and refusing that inspection triggers immediate revocation of the permit; after a revocation, the same owner must wait one year before reapplying for the same dwelling.