Running a business from home in Atascadero: the local rules

Each rule below links to the section of the Atascadero Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Atascadero's code says

Atascadero code What Atascadero's code adds
Customer visits	No more than 1 client vehicle at any one time. Applies: Office-type personal or business services, such as music lessons or contracting without on-site storage of materials or equipment. § 9-6.105 · code text Office-type personal or business services (including personal instruction such as music lessons or contracting services not involving on-site storage of materials or equipment) that do not involve the presence of more than one client vehicle at any one time; Total traffic no more than normal residential volume, which means up to 10 trips per day. Applies: All traffic from the home business, with all parking off the street. Does not apply to garage or handcraft sales. § 9-6.105 · code text For purposes of this section, normal residential traffic volume means up to 10 trips per day.
Employees	Only household members who live on the premises may work on the site. Applies: Without administrative use permit approval. § 9-6.105 · code text No person other than members of the household residing on the premises may be employed and working on the site, except that employees, including independent contractors, partners, and similar employee-type relationships, may be permitted through administrative use permit approval (refer to Section 9-1.112) as follows: No limit on the number of employees. Applies: With administrative use permit approval, if employees never work or report on site during or near business hours; no added vehicles, equipment or outside storage. § 9-6.105 · code text The number of employees shall be unlimited, if the following criteria can be complied with: No more than 2 employees. Applies: With administrative use permit approval, and only if the listed criteria for this option are met. § 9-6.105 · code text A maximum of two employees, if the following criteria can be complied with:
Permit	Administrative use permit approval is required. Applies: When people who are not household members are employed and working on the site. § 9-6.105 · code text employees, including independent contractors, partners, and similar employee-type relationships, may be permitted through administrative use permit approval (refer to Section 9-1.112) as follows:
Businesses not allowed	mass-production operations such as cabinet shops Applies: handcraft or artwork production § 9-6.105 · code text Handcraft or artwork production, including, but not limited to, pottery and ceramics, artistic glass or metalwork, electronic components, woodcarving and woodworking (except for mass-production operations such as cabinet shops) on-site retail sales of the products of a home occupation Applies: general rule; exceptions are garage sales, sale of handcrafted items and artwork produced on site, approved home-occupation supply sales, and agricultural produce stands § 9-6.105 · code text On-site retail sales of the products of a home occupation are prohibited, except:

Who this affects

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Frequently asked questions

Can I run a business from my home in Atascadero?

Atascadero limits home business traffic to 10 trips a day; office-type services may have 1 client vehicle at a time.

Running a business from home in Atascadero

Key points

What Atascadero's code says

Who this affects

Frequently asked questions

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