---
title: Fort St. John home-based business rules
question: "Can I run a business from my home?"
place: Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/fort-st-john
category: Starting and running a business
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Fort St. John
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/home-based-business/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/home-based-business.json"
---

# Fort St. John home-based business rules

**Question:** Can I run a business from my home?

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Fort St. John, https://www.fortstjohn.ca)  
**Cost:** $125 for a home occupation business licence (business or office).  
**Where:**
- Email: Business licences, businesslicences@fortstjohn.ca
- In person: Development Services, 10648 100 Street, Fort St. John, BC V1J 3Z6
- Phone: City of Fort St. John, 250-787-8150

## Key facts

- **Allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.1](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "Where permitted, a standard home occupation is subject to the following regulations:" … "Home Occupation – Business" … "Home Occupation – Office"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 8.2 (R-1)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "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"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.1(g)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "No home occupation is permitted within a dwelling that does not comply with municipal bylaws unless"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Business licence:** Yes. A home occupation operator must hold a valid City business licence. Fee: $125 (Home Occupations – Business and Office).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.1(a)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "All operators of a home occupation must obtain and hold a valid and existing business"
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 2563, 2021, Schedule A](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/business-licence-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "Home Occupations – Business and Office $125.00"
  - Source: [Business Licences, Business Licences page](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/business-building-and-development/business-and-economic-development/business-licences)
  - Official wording: "A home occupations business licence is required for all businesses that operate within a residence within the City."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Limits:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.2](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "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"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.3](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "Occupy more than 25.0 m² of floor area of the dwelling unit;" … "Permit any customer visits to the home occupation – office;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Businesses not allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.1(b)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "A home occupation may not include any use that is permitted in an industrial zone"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.2(h)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "Retail sales are not permitted in a home occupation – business except for:"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.1(g)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "A resident of a secondary suite may not conduct a home occupation within the secondary"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (s. 4.22); Business Licence Bylaw No. 2563, 2021 (s. 7.5)
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (Consolidated Version) 4.0 General Regulations 4.22 Home Occupations (continued) 4.22.2 Home Occupations - Business This"
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 2563, 2021, s. 7.5](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/business-licence-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "Home Occupation – Business and Office"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Under [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.

## Steps

1. Check your zone's use list, or ask Development Services, to confirm your address allows it.
2. 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.
3. Follow the rules for your type (below).

## Good to know

- 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.
- Home office: no customer visits, no employees, 25 m² maximum, no signs.
- 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.
- No hazardous conditions, offensive noise, odour or interference. An office may not have outdoor storage.
- Any use permitted in an industrial zone is not allowed as a home occupation.
- A secondary suite resident may run only an office, not a home business.
- Failing to license a home occupation under the Zoning Bylaw is a $100 per offence per day fine.

## Official forms and pages

- [Home Occupations - Business (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/home-occupations-business)
- [Home Occupations - Office (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/home-occupations-office)
- [Zoning Bylaw 2470, 2019, section 4.22 (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw)

## Related questions

- [Fort St. John business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/business-licence.md)
- [Fort St. John secondary suite and carriage house rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/secondary-suite.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Home-based business rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/home-based-business.md)
- [Taylor](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/taylor/home-based-business.md)
- [Dawson Creek](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/home-based-business.md)
- [Pouce Coupe](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pouce-coupe/home-based-business.md)
- [Hudson's Hope](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hudsons-hope/home-based-business.md)
- [Chetwynd](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/home-based-business.md)
- [Tumbler Ridge](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/home-based-business.md)

## Sources

- [Business Licences, City of Fort St. John](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/business-building-and-development/business-and-economic-development/business-licences) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (PDF), section 4.22 Home Occupations](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Business Licence Bylaw No. 2563, 2021 (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/business-licence-bylaw) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Fort St. John. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/home-based-business/_