Fort St. John home-based business rules

Can I run a business from my home?

Fort St. John, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

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.

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.Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.1; Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 8.2 (R-1); Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.1(g) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Where permitted, a standard home occupation is subject to the following regulations: Home Occupation – Business Home Occupation – Office 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 No home occupation is permitted within a dwelling that does not comply with municipal bylaws unless
Business licence	Yes. A home occupation operator must hold a valid City business licence. Fee: $125 (Home Occupations – Business and Office).Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.1(a); Business Licence Bylaw No. 2563, 2021, Schedule A; Business Licences, Business Licences page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording All operators of a home occupation must obtain and hold a valid and existing business Home Occupations – Business and Office $125.00 A home occupations business licence is required for all businesses that operate within a residence within the City.
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.Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.2; Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 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 Occupy more than 25.0 m² of floor area of the dwelling unit; Permit any customer visits to the home occupation – office;
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.Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.1(b); Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.2(h); Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22.1(g) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording A home occupation may not include any use that is permitted in an industrial zone Retail sales are not permitted in a home occupation – business except for: A resident of a secondary suite may not conduct a home occupation within the secondary
Bylaw	Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (s. 4.22); Business Licence Bylaw No. 2563, 2021 (s. 7.5)Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019, section 4.22 Home Occupations, s. 4.22; Business Licence Bylaw No. 2563, 2021, s. 7.5 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 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 Home Occupation – Business and Office

How it works

Under Zoning Bylaw 2470, 2019 (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

Check your zone's use list, or ask Development Services, to confirm your address allows it.
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.
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

The same question in other places

Taylor · Dawson Creek · Pouce Coupe · Hudson's Hope · Chetwynd · Tumbler Ridge

Home-based business rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Business Licences, City of Fort St. John (read 2026-11-05)
Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (PDF), section 4.22 Home Occupations (read 2026-11-05)
Business Licence Bylaw No. 2563, 2021 (PDF) (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. How answers are checked.