---
title: District of North Vancouver home-based business rules
question: "Can I run a business from my home in the District of North Vancouver?"
place: District of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/north-vancouver-district
category: Starting and running a business
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of North Vancouver
sources_read: 2026-11-06
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/home-based-business/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/home-based-business.json"
---

# District of North Vancouver home-based business rules

**Question:** Can I run a business from my home in the District of North Vancouver?

**Short answer:** In the District of North Vancouver (not the City), you can run a home occupation in the single- family zones, including R1 and R2, if you live there and meet the Zoning Bylaw limits. It may use at most 20% of the floor area or 46 m². You also need a business licence.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of North Vancouver, https://www.dnv.org)  
**Cost:** Business licence fee depends on the business category (Bylaw 6481, Schedule E), plus a $20 non- refundable processing fee for a business run from a dwelling unit. A business not listed (one or two people) is $193.90.  
**How long:** Not stated in the documents we could read.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Business Licences, 604-990-2480
- Email: Business Licences email, businesslicences@dnv.org
- Phone: Planning Department, 604-990-2387
- In person: Municipal Hall, 355 West Queens Road, North Vancouver, BC V7N 4N5

## Key facts

- **Allowed:** Yes. A home occupation is an accessory use in the single-family (RS) zones and in the R1 and R2 zones, if run by a resident of the dwelling unit and meeting section 405.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 3210, s. 501.1(b)(i)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/bylaw-3210.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Accessory Uses: (i) home occupations;"
  - Source: [Section 525 to Zoning Bylaw 3210, R1 and R2 zones, Subsection 525-1.50 and 3.10(9)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/zoning-guide-section-525.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Home Occupation means a use that that is located within a Dwelling Unit and subordinate to a" … "Home Occupations: Refer to Section 405."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Business licence:** Yes, a business licence is required. The fee follows the business category in Fees and Charges Bylaw 6481, Schedule E, with a non-refundable $20 processing fee for a business run from a dwelling unit. A business not listed (one or two people) is $193.90; Schedule C lists a $0 fee for some office-type operators, so confirm with Business Licences.
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw 4567, s. 406(1)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%204567.pdf)
  - Official wording: "a non-refundable processing fee of $20.00 for a non-resident business" … "or a resident business operated from a dwelling unit"
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw 6481, Schedule E, Licence Fees E](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%206481.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Every person carrying on within the Municipality any business, trade, employment, occupation, or" … "One or two persons engaged in the business $193.90" … "The fee for operators in this"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Limits:** Home occupation may use at most 20% of the floor area or 46 m², whichever is less. No more than two people on the premises, one a resident. All materials stored inside. Nothing detectable outside (noise, odour). Only a 1 sq ft name-plate sign. Only goods made on the premises sold. Max two home occupations.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 3210, s. 405(1)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/bylaw-3210.pdf)
  - Official wording: "shall not occupy more than 20% of the total gross floor area or 46 square metres whichever is lesser." … "a total of not more than two persons shall be engaged in the occupation" … "with the exception of a single name-plate not exceeding one square foot" … "No commodity shall be sold on the premises except that which is made on" … "No more than two home occupations shall be conducted from the"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Businesses not allowed:** Gun shops and social escort services are prohibited as home occupations. Pet care establishments and veterinaries are prohibited; pet services allowed with no more than 3 dogs on the property at any time.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 3210, s. 405(2), (3), (4)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/bylaw-3210.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Gun shops are prohibited as home occupations." … "Social escort services are prohibited as home occupations." … "Pet care establishments and" … "veterinaries are prohibited as home occupations."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw 3210, 1965, s. 405 (Home Occupations); Business Licence Bylaw 4567, 1974
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 3210, s. 405](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/bylaw-3210.pdf)
  - Official wording: "(a) Accessory Uses are permitted and are limited to: (i) Home Occupations in accordance with the regulations in Section 405 of the Zoning Bylaw, 1965" … "ZONING BYLAW 1965 BYLAW 3210 Effective Date - 1965"
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw 4567, cover](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%204567.pdf)
  - Official wording: "THE DISTRICT OF NORTH VANCOUVER BUSINESS LICENCE BYLAW BYLAW 4567 Effective Date - October 15, 1974" … "326 Dining Room Repealed. (5335) 326A Dwelling Unit "Dwelling Unit" has the meaning given to it in Part 2 of Zoning Bylaw No. 3210, 1965. (8727)"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

A home occupation is an accessory use in the single-family (RS) zones and in the R1 and R2 zones, if it is run by a resident of the dwelling unit and meets section 405 of [Zoning Bylaw 3210](<https://docs.dnv.org/documents/bylaw-3210.pdf>). Other zones were not read. This is the District of North Vancouver, not the City of North Vancouver.

Limits in s. 405:

- At most 20% of the floor area or 46 m², whichever is less.
- No more than two people on the premises, one of them a resident.
- All materials stored inside, and nothing detectable outside (noise, odour).
- Only a 1 sq ft name-plate sign.
- Only goods made on the premises may be sold.
- Maximum two home occupations (only one where the premises has a bed and breakfast).

## Steps

1. Check your zone and the s. 405 limits (see zoning-lookup).
2. Get a business licence (see business-licence). The fee follows the business category in [Fees and Charges Bylaw 6481](<https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%206481.pdf>), Schedule E, with a non-refundable $20 processing fee for a business run from a dwelling unit.
3. Confirm the fee with Business Licences (604-990-2480, businesslicences@dnv.org). Schedule C lists a $0 fee for some office-type operators.

## Good to know

- Gun shops and social escort services are prohibited as home occupations. Pet care establishments and veterinaries are prohibited; pet services are allowed with no more than 3 dogs on the property at any time.
- Short-term rental is not a home occupation (see short-term-rental).
- No customer-visit or parking limit was found in s. 405. Ask Planning (604-990-2387).

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw 3210 (PDF)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/bylaw-3210.pdf)
- [Business Licence Bylaw 4567 (PDF)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%204567.pdf)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw 6481 (PDF)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%206481.pdf)
- [Section 525 to Zoning Bylaw 3210, R1 and R2 zones (PDF)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/zoning-guide-section-525.pdf)

## Related questions

- [District of North Vancouver business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/business-licence.md)
- [District of North Vancouver short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/short-term-rental.md)
- [District of North Vancouver secondary suite and carriage house rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/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)
- [North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver/home-based-business.md)
- [Belcarra](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/home-based-business.md)
- [West Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-vancouver/home-based-business.md)
- [Port Moody](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-moody/home-based-business.md)
- [Burnaby](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/home-based-business.md)
- [Richmond](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/richmond/home-based-business.md)

## Sources

- [https://docs.dnv.org/documents/fence-height-regulations.pdf](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/fence-height-regulations.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [https://docs.dnv.org/documents/zoning-guide-single-family-residential-edgemont-zone.pdf](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/zoning-guide-single-family-residential-edgemont-zone.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Zoning Bylaw 3210 (PDF)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/bylaw-3210.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Section 525 to Zoning Bylaw 3210, R1 and R2 zones (PDF)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/zoning-guide-section-525.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Business Licence Bylaw 4567 (PDF)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%204567.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw 6481 (PDF)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%206481.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)

_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 District of North Vancouver. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/home-based-business/_