Can I run a business from home in York, Maine?
Yes. York allows one home occupation per single-family home with a Use Permit from the Code Enforcement Officer. The allowed size depends on your area's class on the town's Home Occupation Classes map: Class 1 is up to 450 sq ft inside the house with one outside employee; Class 3 is up to 1,600 sq ft with three employees. You can have one unlit sign of up to 4 sq ft.
| Approval | Use Permit from the Code Enforcement Officer [8] |
| Class 1 | Inside the house only; 450 sq ft max [2] |
| Class 1 employees and outdoor use | 1 non-resident employee; no outdoor activity or storage [11] |
| Class 2 | House or accessory building; 800 sq ft max [10] |
| Class 2 outdoor area | Up to 1,600 sq ft, meeting setbacks and screened [3] |
| Class 3 | 1,600 sq ft max in buildings; up to 3 non-resident employees; up to 3,200 sq ft of outdoor area [4] |
| Which class applies | Set by the town's 'Home Occupation Classes' map (May 4, 2005) [6] |
| Signs | One sign, 4 sq ft max, no artificial lighting [7] |
| Parking | One space per non-resident employee; enough parking to avoid on-street parking for customers [9] |
What counts
A home occupation is a business run within a residential unit by one or more of its occupants that's incidental and secondary to living there. Telecommuting isn't a home occupation [1].
Three classes
- Class 1: only in the house, 450 sq ft or less, no more than one employee besides the residents on site at a time, no outdoor activity or storage, and no other workers gathering on the property [2][11].
- Class 2: in the house or an accessory building, 800 sq ft or less [10], one outside employee, and up to 1,600 sq ft of outdoor work or storage area that meets setbacks and is screened [3].
- Class 3: up to 1,600 sq ft in buildings, up to 3 outside employees, and up to 3,200 sq ft of outdoor area. Trades can have up to 5 off-site workers gather briefly [4].
Allowed types
Allowed types are professional offices (not medical or dental), personal services such as barbers and salons, instruction, small repair services, day care homes, artist and craft studios, and trade shops for carpenters, plumbers and landscapers [5].
Which class you get
A lot used only as a single-family detached home may have one home occupation, up to the class shown for its location on the town's "Home Occupation Classes" map dated May 4, 2005 [6]. Lots with 4 or more acres of non-wetland land get one class higher. Other residence types, such as duplexes and condos, get one Class 1 home occupation per unit. Overlay districts can be more restrictive.
Signs, parking and impacts
One sign of 4 sq ft or less is allowed, with no artificial illumination [7]. You need one parking space per non-resident employee plus enough for customers to avoid on-street parking [9], screened from the street and neighbors. Retail is limited to incidental sales, plus products made on site for Class 2 and 3, and e-commerce is allowed. Noise, smoke, odor and glare must stay at residential levels, and storing hazardous materials beyond normal household amounts is prohibited.
Permit
You need a Use Permit from the Code Enforcement Officer before starting [8]. If your lot has an ADU, the home occupation can be in the ADU or the main house, but not both.
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Next steps
- Check the 'York Zoning Ordinance: Home Occupation Classes' map (May 4, 2005) to find the class allowed at your address.
- Confirm your business fits one of the permitted types and the class's floor area, employee and outdoor-storage limits.
- Plan parking (one space per outside employee plus customer parking) and any sign (4 sq ft max, unlit).
- Apply to the York Code Enforcement Office for a home occupation Use Permit before you open.
Common questions
- Can I run a business from my home in York, Maine?
- Yes. York allows one home occupation per single-family home with a Use Permit from the Code Enforcement Officer, before you start. The allowed size depends on your area's class on the town's Home Occupation Classes map.
- How big can a home business be in York, Maine?
- Class 1 is up to 450 sq ft inside the house with one outside employee. Class 2 is up to 800 sq ft. Class 3 is up to 1,600 sq ft in buildings with up to 3 outside employees. Lots with 4 or more acres of non-wetland land get one class higher.
- Can I put up a sign for my home business in York, Maine?
- One sign of 4 sq ft or less, with no artificial illumination.
- How much parking does a home business need in York, Maine?
- One space per non-resident employee, plus enough for customers to avoid on-street parking.
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
- Art. 2, Definitions: Home Occupation, Zoning Ordinance (Revised through May 16, 2026), p. 22
HOME OCCUPATION: Any business or occupation undertaken within a residential unit, by one or more occupants of that unit, that is incidental and secondary to the use as a dwelling. This shall not be interpreted to include telecommuting.
- §7.4.2(A) Class 1, Zoning Ordinance (Revised through May 16, 2026), p. 122
1. Located within the principal residential structure only. 2. Shall occupy 450 square feet or less of floor space.
- §7.4.2(B) Class 2, Zoning Ordinance (Revised through May 16, 2026), p. 122
4. Outdoor activity or storage of materials shall be permitted in an area not to exceed 1,600 square feet, provided the area meets structure setbacks and the area is screened from roads and abutters.
- §7.4.2(C) Class 3, Zoning Ordinance (Revised through May 16, 2026), p. 123
2. Shall occupy 1,600 square feet or less of floor space for that portion of the use located in a building. 3. Not more than 3 employees other than the home’s occupants may work on-site at any time, and one additional on-site parking space shall be provided per employee if there are such employees. 4. Outdoor activity or storage of materials shall be permitted in an area not to exceed 3,200 square feet, provided the area meets structure setbacks and the area is screened from roads and abutters.
- §7.4.3 Types of Home Occupations Permitted, Zoning Ordinance (Revised through May 16, 2026), p. 123
1. Professional Office: office space used for by professionals including, but not limited to architects, brokers, counselors, clergy, draftspeople, cartographers, engineers, insurance agents, lawyers, real estate agents, accountants, editors, publishers, journalists, psychologists, contract managers, graphic designers, landscape designers, surveyors, salespeople, and travel agents. This shall exclude medical and dental offices.
- §7.4.4(A) Classes Permitted by Zone, Zoning Ordinance (Revised through May 16, 2026), p. 123
A. Where the use of a lot is exclusively a single-family detached residence, a single home occupation shall be permitted. The maximum class of such home occupation shall be limited in accordance with the map, “York Zoning Ordinance: Home Occupation Classes” dated May 4, 2005, except as provided in §7.4.4.D.
- §7.4.5(B) Signs, Zoning Ordinance (Revised through May 16, 2026), p. 124
B. Signs. One sign shall be permitted for a home occupation. The total area of the sign, including all above-ground structural elements, shall not exceed 4 square feet. Such signs shall have no artificial illumination.
- §7.4.6 Permit Required, Zoning Ordinance (Revised through May 16, 2026), p. 124
7.4.6 Permit Required. A Use Permit shall be obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer prior to establishment of a home occupation.
- §7.4.5(D) Parking, Zoning Ordinance (Revised through May 16, 2026), p. 124
D. Parking. In addition to the parking spaces required for the residence, a parking space shall be provided for each employee that does not live in the residence. For home occupations that will have customers visiting the home, sufficient parking shall be provided to prevent the need for on- street parking.
- §7.4.2(B) Class 2, Zoning Ordinance (Revised through May 16, 2026), p. 122
1. May be located in the principal residential structure or an accessory structure. 2. Shall occupy 800 square feet or less of floor space.
- §7.4.2(A) Class 1, Zoning Ordinance (Revised through May 16, 2026), p. 122
3. Not more than one employee other than the home’s occupants may work on-site at any time, and one additional on-site parking space shall be provided if there is such an employee. 4. No outdoor activity or storage of materials shall be permitted, except for a Day Care Home where outdoor space must be provided for the people.