Can I run a business from home in Bath, Maine?
Yes. Bath's new Land Use Code allows a home occupation in all residential districts as long as it stays clearly secondary to living there, is run fully indoors and doesn't change the home's residential look. The code itself doesn't say a permit is needed, but the Codes Office lists a $60 Home Occupation Permit, and its posted form is from the old code, so check with Codes before you start.
| Where allowed (Table 8-1) | All six residential districts plus NC, CC, DB, CG, MC, CX and WMU [12] |
| Where the work can happen | In the house or a detached accessory building, fully indoors [2] |
| Signs | One non-illuminated wall sign, max 1 sq ft [5] |
| Traffic | No more than average for a residential area [4] |
| Prohibited | Vehicle, boat, equipment or engine repair; on-site rental pick-up; dispatching [6] |
| Permit fee (City fee schedule; permit not named in the Land Use Code) | $60 [8] |
What's allowed
Under Bath's new Land Use Code (in effect since September 23, 2026), a home occupation is a permitted accessory use in a dwelling unit if it's clearly incidental and secondary to living there and doesn't change the home's residential character or harm the neighborhood [1]. In the use matrix (Table 8-1), where a filled dot means permitted and a blank means not permitted [11], the Home Occupation row has a filled dot under all six residential districts (R-R, R-T, R-C, R-UC, R-WM, R-WH) and the NC, CC, DB, CG, MC, CX and WMU districts [12]. The business can operate in the house or in a detached accessory building, and all activity, storage, equipment and display must be inside [2]. The code defines a home occupation as a business run by a resident for economic gain [7].
Standards
- No exterior changes or displays that show the building is used for something other than a home.
- Deliveries only by passenger vehicles or normal parcel and mail carriers.
- No hazardous materials, and no noise, odor, smoke or vibration beyond normal home levels.
- No tractor trailers, semi-trucks or heavy construction equipment [3].
- Traffic can't exceed what's average for a residential area [4].
- One non-illuminated wall sign of no more than 1 square foot [5].
- No repair of vehicles, boats, equipment, heavy machinery or engines (small electronics repair like computers is fine), no rental businesses where customers pick up and return items, and no dispatching where workers report to the home [10][6].
The new code doesn't set an employee limit or a floor-area cap. Day care homes are regulated separately, not as home occupations.
Permit and outdated form
The Land Use Code's home occupation section doesn't mention a permit. The City's Codes Office, though, lists a Home Occupation Permit among its permit applications [13] and charges $60 for it in its fee schedule [8]. The posted application is the old code's "Type A Home Occupation" form, with a $60 fee plus $100 inspection deposit [9], and old standards such as a 30% floor-area cap and zero non-family employees for Type A. The new code drops the Type A/Type B split, so ask the Codes Enforcement Office whether a permit is still required and which form and standards it uses now.
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Next steps
- Check your business against the Land Use Code §8.4.C list: everything indoors, residential look, no repair shop, dispatching or rental pick-up, and normal residential traffic.
- Call or visit the Codes Enforcement Office (55 Front Street, 207-443-8334) to confirm which home occupation application applies under the new code.
- Submit the application with the $60 permit fee (the posted form also asks for a $100 inspection deposit).
- If you want a sign, keep it to one unlit wall sign of 1 square foot or less.
Common questions
- Can I run a business from my home in Bath, Maine?
- Yes. Bath's Land Use Code allows a home occupation in all six residential districts and the NC, CC, DB, CG, MC, CX and WMU districts, as long as it stays clearly secondary to living there, is run fully indoors and doesn't change the home's residential look.
- Do I need a home occupation permit in Bath, Maine?
- It depends, so ask the Codes Office. The Land Use Code doesn't say a permit is needed, but the City lists a Home Occupation Permit with a $60 fee, and its posted form, which also asks for a $100 inspection deposit, is from the old code.
- Can I put up a sign for a home business in Bath, Maine?
- Yes, one non-illuminated wall sign of no more than 1 square foot.
- What home businesses are not allowed in Bath, Maine?
- Repair of vehicles, boats, equipment, heavy machinery or engines (small electronics repair is fine), rental businesses where customers pick up and return items, and dispatching where workers report to the home. Tractor trailers, semi-trucks and heavy equipment are also prohibited.
Maine state rules for home businesses
Maine has no statewide home-occupation law. Whether you can run a business from home, and with what limits, is mostly up to your town's zoning. A few state rules may apply:
- Sales tax registration: If you regularly sell taxable goods or services from home, you must register with Maine Revenue Services and collect sales tax.
- Home food businesses: Making shelf-stable foods (baked goods, jams and similar) to sell requires a Home Food License from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. It costs $20 a year and needs an initial kitchen inspection. Foods that must be refrigerated need a commercial license instead.
- Family child care: A state law (30-A M.R.S. §4364-D) makes family child care providers a permitted use in residential zones, under the same zoning rules as a single-family home. As amended in 2026, towns must follow it starting July 1, 2027. State child care licensing applies separately.
- Shoreland zone: The DEP's model shoreland ordinance defines a home occupation as one clearly incidental to the home, with no more than 2 employees besides family members living there. It requires a planning board permit in Limited Residential, Resource Protection and Stream Protection districts, and a code officer permit in Limited Commercial districts.
What the ordinance says
- LUC §8.4.C.1 Home Occupation, City of Bath Land Use Code (new code adopted by City Council 2026-09-02, effective 2026-09-23), p. 98
Home occupations are permitted in a dwelling unit as an accessory use provided that the use is clearly incidental and secondary to the primary use of the dwelling for residential purposes and does not change the residential character of the dwelling unit or adversely affect the surrounding residential district.
- LUC §8.4.C.5, City of Bath Land Use Code (new code adopted by City Council 2026-09-02, effective 2026-09-23), p. 98
The home occupation and all related activity, including storage, equipment, and display, must be conducted completely within the principal building or accessory structure.
- LUC §8.4.C.7, City of Bath Land Use Code (new code adopted by City Council 2026-09-02, effective 2026-09-23), p. 98
The use or storage of tractor trailers, semi-trucks, or heavy equipment, such as construction equipment used in a commercial business, is prohibited.
- LUC §8.4.C.8, City of Bath Land Use Code (new code adopted by City Council 2026-09-02, effective 2026-09-23), p. 98
The home occupation may not create greater vehicular or pedestrian traffic than is average for a residential area.
- LUC §8.4.C.9, City of Bath Land Use Code (new code adopted by City Council 2026-09-02, effective 2026-09-23), p. 98
Only one non-illuminated, affixed wall sign no more than one square foot in area is permitted in association with the home occupation.
- LUC §8.4.C.11-12, City of Bath Land Use Code (new code adopted by City Council 2026-09-02, effective 2026-09-23), p. 98
Rental services, where any materials for rent are stored on-site and customers visit the residence to pick- up and return the product, are prohibited. 12. Dispatching services, where workers report to the home for dispatching, are prohibited.
- LUC §8.6 Use Definitions, Home Occupation, City of Bath Land Use Code (new code adopted by City Council 2026-09-02, effective 2026-09-23), p. 107
Home Occupation. A business or commercial activity conducted by a resident for economic gain, operated as an accessory use within the resident’s dwelling and subordinate to the primary residential use of the property.
- Code Enforcement, Required Permits and Fees, Occupancy & Business Permits Fees, Code Enforcement - Required Permits and Fees page
Home Occupation Permit $60
- Type A Home Occupation application, Type A Home Occupation permit application, p. 1
Fee: $60.00 + $100.00 Inspection Deposit Type A Home Occupation
- LUC §8.4.C.10, City of Bath Land Use Code (new code adopted by City Council 2026-09-02, effective 2026-09-23), p. 98
Repair and service of any vehicles, boats, equipment, any type of heavy machinery, or any type of engine is prohibited. Small electronic repair, such as computers, is allowed.
- LUC Table 8-1 Use Matrix, legend, City of Bath Land Use Code (new code adopted by City Council 2026-09-02, effective 2026-09-23), p. 79
⏺ = Permitted Use (May require Site Plan Approval) // ◐ = Permitted subject to Site Plan Approval by the Planning Board // Blank = Not Permitted
- LUC Table 8-1 Use Matrix, Accessory Uses rows (read by column), City of Bath Land Use Code (new code adopted by City Council 2026-09-02, effective 2026-09-23), p. 79
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) § 8.4.A Home Occupation § 8.4.C R-R ⏺ ⏺ R-T ⏺ ⏺ R-C ⏺ ⏺ R-UC ⏺ ⏺ R-WM ⏺ ⏺ R-WH ⏺ ⏺ NC ⏺ ⏺ CC ⏺ ⏺ DB ⏺ ⏺ CG ⏺ ⏺ MC ⏺ ⏺ CX ⏺ ⏺ WMU ⏺ ⏺ I GC PO TMC
- Code Enforcement, Required Permits and Fees, Permit Applications, Code Enforcement - Required Permits and Fees page
Home Occupation Permit (PDF, 375KB)