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Santa Maria · Building on your lot

Running a business from home in Santa Maria

No customers or employees may come to a home business, except music lessons and 1-person testing; a city business license is required.

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Key points

  • Home businesses: No customers or employees may come to a home business, except music lessons and 1-person testing; a city business license is required.

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

What Santa Maria's code says

Santa Maria code What Santa Maria's code adds
Customer visits
  • No customers, suppliers, clients or patients may come to the home.
    Applies: Except music lessons, and school readiness testing for 1 person at a time by a resident.
    § 12-29.07 · code text
    There shall be no customers, suppliers or employees, clients or patients coming to the home in connection with the home occupation, except for the following:
  • 1 person at a time.
    Applies: School readiness testing and counseling done only by a resident, as a secondary use.
    § 12-29.07 · code text
    (b) School readiness testing and counseling activities for one person at a time, when conducted solely by a resident of the home, as a secondary use, in compliance with all other requirements of this chapter and the Santa Maria Municipal Code.
  • Allowed.
    Applies: Music lessons, as permitted under the city's zoning rules.
    § 12-29.07 · code text
    (a) Music lessons as permitted by Section 12-6.04(g);
Employees
  • No employees may come to the home.
    Applies: General rule for home occupations.
    § 12-29.07 · code text
    There shall be no customers, suppliers or employees, clients or patients coming to the home in connection with the home occupation, except for the following:
Permit
  • A valid city business license and a signed statement that the operator knows the city rules.
    Applies: Business owners or operators in a residential zone.
    § 12-29.04 · code text
    Any business owner or operator operating in a residential zoning district shall sign and file a statement indicating his or her awareness of City regulations applicable to the operation of home occupations, and that owner/operator must also have a valid City business license.
Businesses not allowed
  • vehicle or vessel repair for compensation
    Applies: residentially zoned property
    § 12-29.02.1 · code text
    It shall be unlawful to engage in vehicle or vessel repair, as defined in subsection (b), on residentially zoned property for compensation.

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

Can I run a business from my home in Santa Maria?

No customers or employees may come to a home business, except music lessons and 1-person testing; a city business license is required.

General information, not legal advice.

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