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

# Oliver home-based business rules

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

**Short answer:** In Oliver you can run a home occupation where your zone lists it as a permitted use. You need a $75 a year home occupation business licence and must submit the Town's Home Occupation Waiver. Only one home occupation is allowed per parcel.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Oliver, https://www.oliver.ca)  
**Cost:** Home occupation business licence: $75 a year (pro-rated at 50% if bought after July 1).  
**How long:** Not stated on the Town's pages.  
**Where:**
- Email: Development Services (business licences), planning@oliver.ca
- Phone: Development Services, 250-485-6250
- In person: Town Hall, 6150 Main Street, PO Box 638, Oliver, BC V0H 1T0 (Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Allowed:** Yes, a home occupation is allowed where the zone lists it as a permitted use. The OCP supports home occupations in Low Density Residential areas if they do not have an unacceptable negative impact on surrounding homes. Only one home occupation per parcel.
  - Source: [Home Occupation Waiver](https://www.oliver.ca/sites/3/files/2024-07/Home%20Base%20Business%20Form%20Fillable.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The following regulations apply to home occupation uses where permitted as a use in this Bylaw" … "no more than one (1) home occupation is permitted per parcel"
  - Source: [Official Community Plan Bylaw 1436, Schedule A, s. 3.2.33](https://www.oliver.ca/sites/3/files/2026-09/Official%20Community%20Plan%20Schedule%20A.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Supports Low Density Residential ( LR) areas to include home occupations"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Business licence:** Yes. A Home Occupation business licence is required, with the Home Occupation Waiver submitted with the application. Fee $75 a year.
  - Source: [Business Licences, Home Occupations; Business Licence Fees](https://www.oliver.ca/buiness-licencing)
  - Official wording: "you are required to complete and submit the Home Occupation Waiver along with your Business Licence Application" … "Home Industry or Home Occupation" … "$75.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Limits:** Up to 40% of the dwelling or accessory building floor area, maximum 90 m²; no external storage; at most one non-resident employee; no more than 3 clients at a time (child care, minor: 8 children); retail only of goods made on site, remote sales or related products; no parking demand, traffic congestion or nuisance.
  - Source: [Home Occupation Waiver, Home Occupation Waiver s. 6.9](https://www.oliver.ca/sites/3/files/2024-07/Home%20Base%20Business%20Form%20Fillable.pdf)
  - Official wording: "shall not occupy more than 40% of the floor area of a principal dwelling unit or" … "to a maximum of 90.0 m2" … "with no external storage of materials, containers or finished products" … "shall not employ more than one (1) person who is not a resident of the dwelling unit" … "No more than three (3) clients or customers shall visit the site" … "shall not generate traffic congestion or parking demand within the immediate vicinity"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Businesses not allowed:** Salvage, storage, repair, maintenance or sales of motor vehicles, trailers, boats or related parts; tow-truck operations, manufacturing and industrial uses, social escort services, cabinet making, welding or machine shops, meat cutting, commercial animal breeding, storing industrial, commercial or construction equipment or materials; cannabis production.
  - Source: [Home Occupation Waiver, Home Occupation Waiver s. 6.9(7)](https://www.oliver.ca/sites/3/files/2024-07/Home%20Base%20Business%20Form%20Fillable.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Salvage, storage, repair, maintenance or sales of motor vehicles" … "Tow-truck operations, manufacturing and industrial uses, social escort services, cabinet making" … "cannabis production"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw 1423, s. 6.9 Home Occupations
  - Source: [Business Licence Application, Page 2](https://www.oliver.ca/sites/3/files/2026-08/Business%20Licence%20Application%20Fillable%20Aug%202026.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Refer to Zoning Bylaw 1423 Section 6.9"
  - Source: [Home Occupation Waiver](https://www.oliver.ca/sites/3/files/2024-07/Home%20Base%20Business%20Form%20Fillable.pdf)
  - Official wording: "1423 Zoning Bylaw (Section 6.9 Home Occupations)"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Under Zoning Bylaw 1423 s. 6.9, a home occupation is allowed in the Town of Oliver where the zone lists it as a permitted use. The Official Community Plan supports home occupations in Low Density Residential areas if they do not have an unacceptable negative impact on surrounding homes. Which zones permit them is set in the bylaw, which could not be read.

## Steps

1. Check your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Complete the Home Occupation Waiver and the Business Licence Application, and submit both.
3. Pay the $75 fee. See the business-licence answer for how to apply.

## Limits

- Up to 40% of the dwelling or accessory building floor area, to a maximum of 90 m².
- No external storage of materials, containers or finished products.
- At most one non-resident employee.
- No more than 3 clients at a time (child care: 8 children).
- Retail only of goods made on site, remote sales or related products.
- No parking demand, traffic congestion or nuisance.
- Only one home occupation per parcel.

## Not allowed

Salvage, storage, repair, maintenance or sales of motor vehicles, trailers, boats or related parts; tow-truck operations, manufacturing and industrial uses, social escort services, cabinet making, welding or machine shops, meat cutting, commercial animal breeding, storing industrial, commercial or construction equipment or materials; and cannabis production.

## Good to know

- The waiver form does not set limits on signs.

## Official forms and pages

- [Home Occupation Waiver (PDF), Town of Oliver](https://www.oliver.ca/sites/3/files/2024-07/Home%20Base%20Business%20Form%20Fillable.pdf)
- [Business Licence Application (PDF), Town of Oliver](https://www.oliver.ca/sites/3/files/2026-08/Business%20Licence%20Application%20Fillable%20Aug%202026.pdf)
- [Business Licences, Town of Oliver](https://www.oliver.ca/buiness-licencing)

## Related questions

- [Oliver business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/business-licence.md)
- [Oliver zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Oliver short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/short-term-rental.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Home-based business rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/home-based-business.md)
- [Osoyoos](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/osoyoos/home-based-business.md)
- [Keremeos](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/home-based-business.md)
- [Penticton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/home-based-business.md)
- [Summerland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/summerland/home-based-business.md)
- [Midway](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/midway/home-based-business.md)
- [Greenwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/greenwood/home-based-business.md)

## Sources

- [Business Licences, Town of Oliver](https://www.oliver.ca/buiness-licencing) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Home Occupation Waiver (PDF), Town of Oliver](https://www.oliver.ca/sites/3/files/2024-07/Home%20Base%20Business%20Form%20Fillable.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Business Licence Application (PDF), Town of Oliver](https://www.oliver.ca/sites/3/files/2026-08/Business%20Licence%20Application%20Fillable%20Aug%202026.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Official Community Plan Bylaw 1436, Schedule A (PDF), Town of Oliver](https://www.oliver.ca/sites/3/files/2026-09/Official%20Community%20Plan%20Schedule%20A.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 Town of Oliver. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/home-based-business/_