{"title":"Fort St. John home-based business rules","question":"Can I run a business from my home?","slug":"home-based-business","place":{"path":"ca/bc/fort-st-john","name":"Fort St. John","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"business","name":"Starting and running a business"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"City of Fort St. John","url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca"},"short_answer":"Yes, in Fort St. John where your zone lists a home occupation. You need a City business licence ($125) and must follow Zoning Bylaw s. 4.22. A home business may use up to 25% of the floor area (90 m² at most); a home office is limited to 25 m² with no customers or employees.","aliases":["home occupation fort st john","home based business licence","work from home business rules"],"cost":"$125 for a home occupation business licence (business or office).","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"email","label":"Business licences","value":"businesslicences@fortstjohn.ca"},{"type":"in_person","label":"Development Services","value":"10648 100 Street, Fort St. John, BC V1J 3Z6"},{"type":"phone","label":"City of Fort St. John","value":"250-787-8150"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Home Occupations - Business (PDF)","url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/home-occupations-business"},{"title":"Home Occupations - Office (PDF)","url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/home-occupations-office"},{"title":"Zoning Bylaw 2470, 2019, section 4.22 (PDF)","url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw"}],"related":[{"slug":"business-licence","title":"Fort St. John business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/business-licence/"},{"slug":"secondary-suite","title":"Fort St. John secondary suite and carriage house rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/secondary-suite/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/taylor","name":"Taylor","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/taylor/home-based-business/"},{"place":"ca/bc/dawson-creek","name":"Dawson Creek","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/home-based-business/"},{"place":"ca/bc/pouce-coupe","name":"Pouce Coupe","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pouce-coupe/home-based-business/"},{"place":"ca/bc/hudsons-hope","name":"Hudson's Hope","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hudsons-hope/home-based-business/"},{"place":"ca/bc/chetwynd","name":"Chetwynd","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/home-based-business/"},{"place":"ca/bc/tumbler-ridge","name":"Tumbler Ridge","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/home-based-business/"}],"topic":{"title":"Home-based business rules in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/home-based-business/"},"facts":{"allowed":{"label":"Allowed","value":"Yes, as an accessory use where the zone lists it. 'Home Occupation - Business' is listed in A-1, R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-4A, I-1, I-2 and CD-01 sub-zone C; 'Home Occupation - Office' is also listed in RM-1 to RM-4. Not allowed in a dwelling that does not comply with municipal bylaws.","short":"Yes, where the zone lists it","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (PDF), section 4.22 Home Occupations","section":"s. 4.22.1","quotes":["Where permitted, a standard home occupation is subject to the following regulations:","Home Occupation – Business","Home Occupation – Office"]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (PDF), section 4.22 Home Occupations","section":"s. 8.2 (R-1)","quotes":["4.22 Home Occupations 4.22.2 Home Occupation - Business 1. Where permitted, a home occupation - business is subject to the following regulations:","2022 a. Accessory Building b. Home Occupation - Office 16.3 Regulations On a parcel located in an area zoned RM-3, no building or structure shall be constructed, located"]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (PDF), section 4.22 Home Occupations","section":"s. 4.22.1(g)","quotes":["No home occupation is permitted within a dwelling that does not comply with municipal bylaws unless"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"licence":{"label":"Business licence","value":"Yes. A home occupation operator must hold a valid City business licence. Fee: $125 (Home Occupations – Business and Office).","short":"Yes: $125","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (PDF), section 4.22 Home Occupations","section":"s. 4.22.1(a)","quotes":["All operators of a home occupation must obtain and hold a valid and existing business"]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/business-licence-bylaw","title":"Business Licence Bylaw No. 2563, 2021 (PDF)","section":"Schedule A","quotes":["Home Occupations – Business and Office  $125.00"]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/business-building-and-development/business-and-economic-development/business-licences","title":"Business Licences, City of Fort St. John","section":"Business Licences page","quotes":["A home occupations business licence is required for all businesses that operate within a residence within the City."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"limits":{"label":"Limits","value":"Home business: at most 1 non-resident employee, operator must live there, up to 25% of floor area or 90 m² (whichever is less), up to 20 customer visits a day, one vehicle up to 3 tonnes, one extra off-street parking space, no exterior evidence except a permitted sign. Home office: no customer visits, no employees, 25 m² maximum, no signs.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (PDF), section 4.22 Home Occupations","section":"s. 4.22.2","quotes":["must employ no more than one person","Occupy more than 25% of the floor area of the dwelling or 90.0 m², whichever","Operate in a manner that generates more than 20 customer visits a day;","must include one (1) additional off-street parking","vehicle not exceeding three (3) tonnes gross vehicle"]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (PDF), section 4.22 Home Occupations","section":"s. 4.22.3","quotes":["Occupy more than 25.0 m² of floor area of the dwelling unit;","Permit any customer visits to the home occupation – office;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"not_allowed":{"label":"Businesses not allowed","value":"Any use permitted in an industrial zone. A home business may not sell retail from the premises except incidental products, mail order, phone or internet sales, or direct distributorships where customers do not come in. A secondary suite resident may run only an office, not a home business.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (PDF), section 4.22 Home Occupations","section":"s. 4.22.1(b)","quotes":["A home occupation may not include any use that is permitted in an industrial zone"]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (PDF), section 4.22 Home Occupations","section":"s. 4.22.2(h)","quotes":["Retail sales are not permitted in a home occupation – business except for:"]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (PDF), section 4.22 Home Occupations","section":"s. 4.22.1(g)","quotes":["A resident of a secondary suite may not conduct a home occupation within the secondary"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (s. 4.22); Business Licence Bylaw No. 2563, 2021 (s. 7.5)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (PDF), section 4.22 Home Occupations","section":"s. 4.22","quotes":["Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (Consolidated Version) 4.0 General Regulations 4.22 Home Occupations (continued) 4.22.2 Home Occupations - Business This"]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/business-licence-bylaw","title":"Business Licence Bylaw No. 2563, 2021 (PDF)","section":"s. 7.5","quotes":["Home Occupation – Business and Office"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":5,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nUnder [Zoning Bylaw 2470, 2019](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw) (s. 4.22), a home occupation is an accessory use where the zone lists it. \"Home Occupation – Business\" is listed in A-1, R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-4A, I-1, I-2 and CD-01 sub-zone C. \"Home Occupation – Office\" is also listed in RM-1 to RM-4. It is not allowed in a dwelling that does not comply with municipal bylaws. A home can have at most two home occupations, and only one may be a home business. A bed and breakfast counts as a Home Occupation – Business.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Check your zone's use list, or ask Development Services, to confirm your address allows it.\n2. Get a City business licence for a home occupation ($125). Prorated discounts of 25%, 50% and 75% apply to applications from April 1, July 1 and October 1.\n3. Follow the rules for your type (below).\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Home business: the operator must live there; at most 1 non-resident employee; up to 25% of floor area or 90 m², whichever is less; up to 20 customer visits a day; one vehicle up to 3 tonnes; one extra off-street parking space; no outside sign of the business except a permitted sign.\n- Home office: no customer visits, no employees, 25 m² maximum, no signs.\n- Retail is limited to incidental products, mail order, phone or internet sales, or direct distributorships where customers do not come in. No direct sales from display shelves.\n- No hazardous conditions, offensive noise, odour or interference. An office may not have outdoor storage.\n- Any use permitted in an industrial zone is not allowed as a home occupation.\n- A secondary suite resident may run only an office, not a home business.\n- Failing to license a home occupation under the Zoning Bylaw is a $100 per offence per day fine.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/business-building-and-development/business-and-economic-development/business-licences","title":"Business Licences, City of Fort St. John","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (PDF), section 4.22 Home Occupations","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/business-licence-bylaw","title":"Business Licence Bylaw No. 2563, 2021 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/home-based-business/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/home-based-business.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/home-based-business.json"}}