{"title":"Highlands home-based business rules","question":"Can I run a business from my home in Highlands?","slug":"home-based-business","place":{"path":"ca/bc/highlands","name":"Highlands","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":"District of Highlands","url":"https://www.highlands.ca"},"short_answer":"Yes. In the District of Highlands a home-based business is a permitted use in the Rural Residential, Rural and Greenbelt zones and a few others, if the owner lives on the property. The District does not issue home-based business licences, so none is required.","aliases":["home business highlands","home occupation highlands","work from home business highlands","home based business rules highlands"],"cost":"No District licence or fee. An optional Intermunicipal Business Licence is $100 a year.","how_long":"Not applicable; the District does not issue a licence.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Municipal Planner","value":"250-474-1773"},{"type":"email","label":"Municipal Planner","value":"lbeckett@highlands.ca"},{"type":"in_person","label":"Municipal Hall","value":"1980 Millstream Road, Victoria, BC V9B 6H1"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Business Licences, District of Highlands","url":"https://www.highlands.ca/local-government/business-licences"},{"title":"Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100 (PDF)","url":"https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622"}],"related":[{"slug":"business-licence","title":"Highlands business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/business-licence/"},{"slug":"secondary-suite","title":"Highlands secondary suite and carriage house rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/secondary-suite/"},{"slug":"short-term-rental","title":"Highlands short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/short-term-rental/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Highlands zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/zoning-lookup/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/langford","name":"Langford","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/home-based-business/"},{"place":"ca/bc/view-royal","name":"View Royal","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/home-based-business/"},{"place":"ca/bc/central-saanich","name":"Central Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/central-saanich/home-based-business/"},{"place":"ca/bc/colwood","name":"Colwood","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/home-based-business/"},{"place":"ca/bc/esquimalt","name":"Esquimalt","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/home-based-business/"},{"place":"ca/bc/saanich","name":"Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/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. A permitted use in the Rural Residential (RR1-5, 7, 8, 13-16), Rural (R1-R7, not R3D) and Greenbelt (GB1, GB1A, GB2) zones, and in P3, Am1, Am2 and CD2. The owner or operator must live on the property. Check your zone.","short":"Yes, in listed zones; operator must live there","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.highlands.ca/local-government/business-licences","title":"Business Licences, District of Highlands","section":"Business Licences page","quotes":["Home-based businesses are permitted in the District of Highlands and do not require a business licence."]},{"url":"https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622","title":"Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998 (PDF)","section":"s. 6.1.1 (RR1) and s. 3.6(1)(a)","quotes":["Home-based business","The owner or operator of a home-based business shall have their principal residence on","d)         Home-based business"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"licence":{"label":"Business licence","value":"No business licence is required. The District does not issue home-based business licences. An Intermunicipal Business Licence ($100 a year) is only for a business already operating from Highlands premises that also works in other participating CRD municipalities.","short":"Not required","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.highlands.ca/local-government/business-licences","title":"Business Licences, District of Highlands","section":"Business Licences page","quotes":["Home-based businesses are permitted in the District of Highlands and do not require a business licence.","The annual fee for an Intermunicipal Business Licence is $100 and may be purchased at the District Office."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"limits":{"label":"Limits","value":"Wholly inside the dwelling (lots of 5,000 m² or more may also use an accessory building, up to 70 m² total, 20 m from the front lot line, 10 m from side and rear); one non-resident employee; 8 vehicle trips a day; 1 parking space (1 more for an accessory building); no outdoor storage.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622","title":"Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998 (PDF)","section":"s. 3.6(1)(b) to (f), (k) and s. 3.6(6)","quotes":["not more than one person who does not reside on the lot on which that home-based business is","on a lot of 5000m² or more in area","shall not exceed 70 square metres (753 sq. ft.)","must be sited at least 20 metres from the front lot line and 10 metres from","is permitted only within a dwelling unit or","shall not generate more than eight (8) departures or arrivals of","for each principal dwelling unit","used for a home-based business","for accessory buildings used for a"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"not_allowed":{"label":"Businesses not allowed","value":"No list of banned business types. The rules bar a business that causes noise, odour, heat, smoke, dust, glare, vibration or electrical interference detectable off the lot, more than one unlicensed vehicle being repaired, and any business in an accessory dwelling unit.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622","title":"Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998 (PDF)","section":"s. 3.6(1)(l), (m) and s. 3.11(3)","quotes":["shall not allow or permit to be","any noise, odour, heat, smoke, dust, glare, vibration or electrical interference which","An accessory dwelling unit must not be used for a home-based business."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998, s. 3.6 (home-based business regulations)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622","title":"Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998 (PDF)","section":"Title page and s. 3.6","quotes":["Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998 (consolidated)","Home-Based Business"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":5,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nHome-based businesses are regulated in section 3.6 of the [Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622). A home-based business is a permitted use in the Rural Residential (RR1 to RR5, RR7, RR8, RR13 to RR16), Rural (R1 to R7, not R3D) and Greenbelt (GB1, GB1A, GB2) zones, and in P3, Am1, Am2 and CD2. The owner or operator must live on the property. Check your zone, and note that RR8 and RR14 bar home-based business on bare land strata common property.\n\nNo business licence is required. The District does not issue home-based business licences. An Intermunicipal Business Licence ($100 a year) is only for a business already operating from Highlands premises that also works in other participating CRD municipalities.\n\nThe limits: the business is wholly inside the dwelling (lots of 5,000 m² or more may also use an accessory building, up to 70 m² total, 20 m from the front lot line and 10 m from the side and rear lot lines); one non-resident employee; 8 vehicle trips a day; 1 parking space (1 more for an accessory building); and no outdoor storage.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Confirm your zone allows a home-based business (call the Municipal Planner).\n2. Check the limits above.\n3. Start your business. No District licence is needed.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- There is no list of banned business types. The rules bar a business that causes noise, odour, heat, smoke, dust, glare, vibration or electrical interference detectable off the lot, more than one unlicensed vehicle being repaired, and any business in an accessory dwelling unit.\n- Cannabis production and sales are prohibited unless a zone expressly permits them.\n- The bylaw has no home-based business sign rule.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.highlands.ca/media/1622","title":"Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.highlands.ca/local-government/business-licences","title":"Business Licences, District of Highlands","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","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/highlands/home-based-business/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/home-based-business.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/home-based-business.json"}}