Riverside Municipal Code Ch. 19.485 Home Occupations

The purpose of regulating home occupations is to ensure compatibility of such uses with surrounding uses and properties and to avoid any impacts associated with such uses.

(Ord. 7331 §76, 2016; Ord. 6966 §1, 2007)

Home occupations, as defined in Article X (Definitions), are permitted as incidental uses in all residential zones, as set forth in Article V, Base Zone and Related Use and Development Provisions subject to the requirements contained in this chapter.

(Ord. 7331 §76, 2016; Ord. 6966 §1, 2007)

Only the following business activities are permitted as home occupations.

A. Telecommuting, as defined by Article X (Definitions).

B. Business, professional and sales offices, excluding medical, dental and similar uses that involve regular patient visits to the site, provided that no retail sales transactions are made on the premises and that no customers or clients visit the site, except as specifically allowed by this section. Typical examples of such general business office activities include research; report writing; bookkeeping; telecommunication with clients and employees; and the sending and receiving of mail, telephone calls, electronic facsimile communications and electronic communications by electronic or similar means.

C. Instruction in academia, music, voice, art, dance or similar activities with no more than one pupil receiving instruction at any given time.

D. Activities associated with the work of artists, sculptors, authors and composers.

E. Some personal services, limited to activities associated with the work of dressmakers, seamstresses, and tailors; hair stylists; estheticians; pet groomers; and similar uses.

F. Home crafts, such as model making, rug weaving, quilting and needlework, lapidary work and wood working, limited to the uses of tools and equipment commonly available for personal residential use, but specifically excluding cabinet making.

G. Home catering and food preparation businesses, subject to the approval of the Riverside County Health Department.

H. Small electronics repair, limited to items such as personal computers and electronic recorders with a maximum weight of 40 pounds per item.

I. Home-based direct sales distributions businesses in which sales, merchandise distribution and product demonstrations are primarily conducted either off-site or by telephone, mail or other electronic communication.

(Ord. No. 7701, § 26, 2025; Ord. 7331 §76, 2016; Ord. 6966 §1, 2007)

The standards set forth in Article V, Base Zones and Related Use and Development Provisions, shall apply to all home occupation businesses unless otherwise specified here.

A. The home occupation shall be clearly incidental and subordinate to the primary use of the dwelling unit.

B. The site of the home occupation must be the principal residence of anyone engaged in the home occupation. In addition, no more than one non-resident employee or assistant is permitted to engage in home occupation activities at the site at any given time.

C. There shall be no external visible evidence of the home occupation.

D. A maximum of one room within the dwelling unit or 25 percent of the total square footage of the dwelling unit may be used for the home occupation.

E. The home occupation shall not involve the use of any accessory building or outdoor area for any related activity, including storage or display. However, the use of an attached garage for a permitted home occupation is allowed, provided that required covered parking is continually available and accessible for use.

F. Direct sale of products or merchandise on the premises from which the home occupation is conducted shall be prohibited.

G. A maximum of one customer or client vehicle at any given time shall be allowed to visit the premises of the home occupation.

H. No home occupation use shall create or result in glare, smoke, dust, vibration, fumes, odor, electrical, radio or television interference, fire hazard, significant vehicular or pedestrian traffic, or any other hazard or nuisance disruptive to reasonable use of the surrounding properties. Home occupations shall also comply with the provisions of Title 7 of the Municipal Code.

I. The use or storage of any flammable, combustible, or toxic material in conjunction with a home occupation shall be limited to quantities in accordance with the Fire Code as incorporated by the Riverside Municipal Code for a residential use.

J. Signage or commercial advertising for the home occupation is prohibited.

K. Only one vehicle owned by the operator of the home occupation, no larger than 10,000 pounds gross vehicle rating weight, may be used in conjunction with the home occupation.

L. If more than one home-based business is conducted at a given site, the aggregate of all the home-based businesses shall comply with these standards.

M. The home occupation shall not increase the use of utilities or community facilities beyond that normal to the use of the property for residential purposes.

N. The home occupation shall comply with all other Municipal Code requirements and any applicable County, State, and Federal laws.

O. The cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, transport, or sale of marijuana or marijuana products is not a permitted home occupation.

(Ord. 7431 § 6, 2018; Ord. 7331 §76, 2016; Ord. 6966 §1, 2007)

No modifications to the above site location, operation and development standards shall be allowed in conjunction with a home occupation.

(Ord. 7331 §76, 2016)