Town Permit Guide

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Can I run a business from home in Lewiston, Maine?

Lewiston, Androscoggin County · Ordinances checked 2026-10-16 · Reviewed · 10 cited sections

Allowed with a permit

Yes. Lewiston allows home occupations that use no more than 25% of the home's floor area, with family members living there plus one outside employee, and clients by appointment only. Quiet home-office work with no traffic or sign needs no permit; businesses where the public comes on-site need a change of use permit, and ones like contractors, repair shops or on-site sales also need a conditional use permit.

DistrictsPermitted (P) in every zoning district except Resource Conservation (RC) [10]
EmployeesResident family members plus 1 non-resident [1]
Max floor area25% of the dwelling plus accessory structures used [2]
ClientsUp to 4 unrelated clients at a time, by appointment only, twice a day; otherwise one client or family at a time [4]
SignOne sign, max 6 sq ft, with a sign permit [9]
Home Occupation 1Change of use permit [6]
Home Occupation 2Conditional use permit plus change of use permit [7]
No permitResident-only work with no traffic and no sign (e.g. home office, telecommuting) [8]

Basic rules

Home occupations are a permitted use (P) in every zoning district in the Article XI Land Use Table except Resource Conservation [10]. Lewiston's zoning code (Article XII, Sec. 22, as amended by Ord. 25-12 in July 2025) lets any resident family member work in the business, plus one non-resident [1]. The business must stay clearly secondary to living in the home and use no more than 25 percent of the combined floor area of the dwelling and any accessory structures used for it [2]. There can be no change in the building's outside appearance except one sign, screened storage, food plants, permitted farm stands and the required parking. Parking must be off the street and outside required setbacks, and the business can't create noise, glare, fumes or odors noticeable off the lot. Product sales are limited to things grown, crafted, assembled or substantially altered on site, remote sales, or items incidental to a service [3].

Clients and excluded uses

You may serve up to four unrelated clients at a time by appointment only, two sessions a day; otherwise only one client or family at a time, and walk-in service isn't allowed except at farm stands [4]. Auto repair and body shops, vehicle painting, smokehouses and slaughterhouses, industrial uses, kennels and animal breeding, and multi-vehicle detailing or sales are excluded [5].

Which permit

  • No permit: work by residents that generates no vehicle or foot traffic and has no sign, such as a home office or telecommuting [8].
  • Home Occupation 1 (change of use permit): offices and occupations where the public comes by appointment, such as music lessons, a one-chair salon, medical services without a lab, or a licensed home food business with non-hazardous foods [6].
  • Home Occupation 2 (conditional use permit plus change of use permit): contractors, small engine repair, wood or metal shops, auto sales or detailing, commercial kitchens, larger farm stands and anything with on-premises sales [7]. That approval goes to the business owner and doesn't stay with the property.

A home occupation sign may be up to 6 square feet and needs a sign permit [9]. ### Outdated application form The City's posted Home Occupation Application predates the July 2025 amendment: it still says only residents may work in the business and lists excluded uses (such as tourist homes and family daycare) that differ from the current code. Follow the ordinance (Sec. 22) described above, and ask staff if the form's checklist conflicts with it.

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Next steps

  1. Decide which category fits: no-permit home office, Home Occupation 1 (clients by appointment), or Home Occupation 2 (contractor, repair, shop, on-site sales).
  2. Prepare a floor plan of the whole home showing the area used for the business (25% max), including any accessory buildings or outdoor areas.
  3. Submit the Home Occupation (change of use) application to Planning & Code Enforcement, 27 Pine St., or PlanningCode@lewistonmaine.gov (207-513-3125). Ask staff about conditional use review if you're a Home Occupation 2.
  4. Apply separately for a sign permit if you want a sign, and check whether you need a City business license or state licenses.

Common questions

Can I run a business from my home in Lewiston, Maine?
Yes. Lewiston allows home occupations in every zoning district except Resource Conservation, under rules amended in July 2025. The business can use no more than 25% of the home's floor area plus any accessory buildings it uses, with resident family members and one outside employee.
Do I need a permit for a home business in Lewiston, Maine?
It depends. Quiet work by residents with no traffic and no sign, like a home office, needs no permit. Businesses where clients come by appointment need a change of use permit (Home Occupation 1). Contractors, repair shops, workshops and on-site sales also need a conditional use permit (Home Occupation 2).
Can clients come to my home business in Lewiston, Maine?
Yes, by appointment only. You may serve up to four unrelated clients at a time, twice a day; otherwise only one client or family at a time. Walk-in service isn't allowed except at farm stands.
Is the Lewiston, Maine home occupation application form up to date?
No. The City's posted Home Occupation Application predates the July 2025 amendment and still says only residents may work in the business. Follow the current ordinance (Article XII, Sec. 22), and ask staff if the form conflicts with it.

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.

State sources: Maine Revenue Services: Sales and Use Tax FAQ (registration) · Maine DACF: Home Food License 101 · 30-A M.R.S. §4364-D (Child care services in residential areas) · LD 2173 (P.L. 2025, c. 733): application dates · DEP Chapter 1000 (home occupation definition and land use table)

What the ordinance says

Exact text from Lewiston's published ordinances. Section numbers are as printed in the source.

  1. Art. XII, Sec. 22(1)a Home occupations, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XII - Performance Standards (as amended through Ord. 26-05, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 90
    Any member of the family residing on the premises is permitted to be engaged in such occupation. In addition, one individual that is not a member of the family residing on the premises is permitted to be engaged in such occupation;
  2. Art. XII, Sec. 22(1)b, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XII - Performance Standards (as amended through Ord. 26-05, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 90
    The home occupation shall utilize an area not more than twenty-five (25) percent of the combined floor area of the dwelling unit plus any accessory structures which are used for the home occupation;
  3. Art. XII, Sec. 22(1)f, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XII - Performance Standards (as amended through Ord. 26-05, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 91
    The sale of products shall be limited to those which are grown, crafted, assembled, or substantially altered on the premises, or to remote sales where customers do not come on site, or to items which are accessory and incidental to other services provided;
  4. Art. XII, Sec. 22(1)h, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XII - Performance Standards (as amended through Ord. 26-05, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 91
    Home occupations may serve up to four unrelated clients at a time, by appointment only, two times or two sessions per day. Aside from this allowance, home occupations may serve only one client or family at a time, by appointment only.
  5. Art. XII, Sec. 22(1)i, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XII - Performance Standards (as amended through Ord. 26-05, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 91
    The following are specifically excluded as home occupations: 1. Automotive repair to include body shops and lubrication services 2. Painting of vehicles, boats, trailers, or machinery 3. Smokehouses and slaughterhouses 4. Industrial uses 5. Kennels and breeding of domesticated animals
  6. Art. XII, Sec. 22(2)a Permit required, Home Occupation 1, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XII - Performance Standards (as amended through Ord. 26-05, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 92
    A change of use permit shall be required for occupations meeting the following criteria: a. Home Occupation 1 means an occupation meeting the criteria of subsection 1(a-i) and for which products are sold off-site, online, or on-site by appointment only, for business and professional offices and other occupations where the public comes on-site and which serve not more than four unrelated clients at a time by appointment only,
  7. Art. XII, Sec. 22(2)b Home Occupation 2, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XII - Performance Standards (as amended through Ord. 26-05, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 92
    Occupations meeting these criteria shall require a conditional use permit in addition to a change of use permit. Conditional use permits granted for a home occupation are exclusive to the principal owner or operator of the business, and do not remain with the property.
  8. Art. XII, Sec. 22(3) No permit required, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XII - Performance Standards (as amended through Ord. 26-05, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 92
    Unless specifically listed as home occupation 1 or 2, this section does not regulate any home occupation that is carried out by residents of the home and does not generate vehicular or pedestrian traffic, and does not include a sign. Such home occupations may include home office work and telecommuting.
  9. Art. XII, Sec. 16 Signs, identification signs, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XII - Performance Standards (as amended through Ord. 26-05, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 66
    The following types of signs may be erected in all zoning districts following the obtaining of a permit from the code enforcement official. The application shall indicate the type, size and location of the sign: a. Identification signs. A sign identifying a lawfully existing home occupation, or family child care provider operated in conjunction with a residential use, is allowed on the premises, providing the sign does not exceed six square feet in display area.
  10. Art. XI, Land Use Table (6.04.2026), Residential: Home occupations row, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XI - District Regulations incl. Land Use Table and Space & Bulk Table (as amended through Ord. 26-19, eff. 2026-08-20), p. 9
    Home occupations P P P P P (2) P P P P P P P P (2) P P P (2)
This page summarizes Lewiston's posted ordinances as of 2026-10-16. Ordinances are amended, and individual lots can have overlays, subdivision covenants, or HOA rules that are stricter. Confirm with Planning & Code Enforcement Department (City Hall, 27 Pine St., 3rd floor) (207-513-3125) before you build. Spot an error?