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

# Victoria home-based business rules

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

**Short answer:** Often yes. In the City of Victoria a home business is allowed as a "home occupation" and needs a City business licence; the fee is $100 a year. Zoning Bylaw 2018 and Schedule D of the older Zoning Regulation Bylaw set the conditions, depending on which covers your property.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Victoria, https://www.victoria.ca)  
**Cost:** $100 a year for a home-based business licence.  
**How long:** About 10 business days for a complete application.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Business Hub, 250-361-0629
- Email: Business Hub, bizhub@victoria.ca
- Phone: Business Licences, 250-361-0572
- Email: Business Licences, businesslicence@victoria.ca

## Key facts

- **Allowed:** Yes, as a home occupation. Zoning Bylaw 2018 lists Home Occupation as a permitted use in the GRD-1, LVD-1, CVD-1, TCD-1, CBD-1, CBD-2, MRD-1 and OTD-1 zones. Elsewhere, Zoning Regulation Bylaw Schedule D sets the conditions where home occupations are permitted.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 2018, section 20, Zoning Bylaw 2018, s. 4.1 GRD-1 and s. 4.2 LVD-1 permitted uses](https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018)
  - Official wording: "f. Home Occupation" … "i. Home Occupation" … "Non-Residential uses, other than Home Occupation, are not permitted above the second Storey." … "Home Occupation means the use of a Residential Dwelling Unit or Float Home for the practice"
  - Source: [Zoning Regulation Bylaw, Schedule D, Home Occupations, Zoning Regulation Bylaw, Schedule D, s. 1](https://www.victoria.ca/media/1198)
  - Official wording: "Where home occupations are permitted pursuant to the provisions"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Business licence:** Yes. A City business licence is required. The fee for a home-based business licence is $100 per year (check the 'home occupation' box on the application). Up to three home occupation licences may share an address.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 2018, section 20, Zoning Bylaw 2018, s. 20(a)](https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018)
  - Official wording: "A City business license is required;"
  - Source: [Starting a Business (How to Start a Home-Based Business), How to Start a Home-Based Business, Step 4](https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/business-hub/starting-business)
  - Official wording: "The fee for a home-based business licence is $100 per year."
  - Source: [Starting a Business (How to Start a Home-Based Business), FAQ 3](https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/business-hub/starting-business)
  - Official wording: "you can have up to three home occupation business licences registered to the same address"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Limits:** Zoning Bylaw 2018 (s. 20): sales on the premises only if accessory to the primary business; no nuisance beyond the premises; up to three per dwelling, one with customers; no signs. Zoning Regulation Bylaw Schedule D adds: one person living on the lot, no sales to customers attending, one licensed vehicle visible.
  - Source: [Zoning Regulation Bylaw, Schedule D, Home Occupations, Zoning Regulation Bylaw, Schedule D, s. 4, 7-10](https://www.victoria.ca/media/1198)
  - Official wording: "The sale of goods to customers attending on the lot on which the" … "not more than one person shall be" … "engaged in a home occupation, with the exception of" … "No more than three home occupations shall be carried on in" … "has customers that attend the dwelling unit." … "attendance is limited to 5 persons" … "no sign or other advertising device or advertising matter may be"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 2018, section 20, Zoning Bylaw 2018, s. 20(b), (f), (g)](https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018)
  - Official wording: "The sale of goods on the premises is not permitted, except as accessory to the primary" … "A Home Occupation may not create noise, electronic interference, dust, odour, smokeor any" … "No more than three Home Occupations shall be carried on in any one Dwelling Unit,"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Businesses not allowed:** Schedule D bars: car repairs and garages, clubs, kennels, radio dispatch, restaurants, retail stores, salvage lots, storage lots, cannabis-related businesses, bed and breakfast and transient accommodation or short-term rental (except as Schedule D allows), and anything noxious or offensive. Zoning Bylaw 2018 also bars escort and dating services in multi-residential buildings.
  - Source: [Zoning Regulation Bylaw, Schedule D, Home Occupations, Zoning Regulation Bylaw, Schedule D, s. 6](https://www.victoria.ca/media/1198)
  - Official wording: "All uses that are noxious or offensive to any other dwelling" … "car repairs and garages;" … "(f) restaurants;" … "(g) retail stores;" … "cannabis-related business"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 2018, section 20, Zoning Bylaw 2018, s. 20(c), (d), (e)](https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018)
  - Official wording: "The provision of escort and dating services within a multi-residential Building is not" … "The operation of any cannabis-related business is not permitted"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Regulation Bylaw No. 80-159, Schedule D (Home Occupations); Zoning Bylaw 2018 (No. 18-072), s. 20; Business Licence Bylaw No. 89-071.
  - Source: [Zoning Regulation Bylaw, Schedule D, Home Occupations](https://www.victoria.ca/media/1198)
  - Official wording: "Schedule "D" HOME OCCUPATIONS 1 Where home occupations are permitted pursuant to the provisions of this bylaw, the following conditions shall apply to the use:" … "Amending Bylaw 09-01 adopted Jan 19, 2009 Amending Bylaw 17-110 adopted Jan 11, 2018 Amending Bylaw 18-035 adopted March 8, 2018"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 2018, section 20, s. 20](https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018)
  - Official wording: "Home Occupations must comply with the following:"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

In the City of Victoria a home-based business needs a City business licence and must meet the zoning rules for home occupations. [Zoning Bylaw 2018](https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018) lists Home Occupation as a permitted use in the GRD-1, LVD-1, CVD-1, TCD-1, CBD-1, CBD-2, MRD-1 and OTD-1 zones. Elsewhere, [Schedule D](https://www.victoria.ca/media/1198) of the older Zoning Regulation Bylaw sets the conditions. Check which bylaw covers your address (see the zoning-lookup answer).

## Steps

1. Confirm which zoning bylaw applies to your address and that your business is a permitted home occupation. Ask the Business Hub or Business Licences.
2. Complete the business licence application and check the "home occupation" box.
3. Send it with supporting documents to businesslicence@victoria.ca. Approval is expected within 10 business days if the documents are complete.

## Good to know

- Up to three home occupation licences may share an address.
- Zoning Bylaw 2018 (s. 20): sales on the premises only if accessory to the primary business; no nuisance beyond the premises; up to three per dwelling, one with customers; no signs.
- Schedule D adds: one person living on the lot, no sales to customers who attend, and one licensed vehicle visible. It also allows up to two people where the lot touches a lot in a zone permitting retail use and one lives on site.
- Schedule D bars car repairs and garages, clubs, kennels, radio dispatch, restaurants, retail stores, salvage and storage lots, cannabis-related businesses, bed and breakfast and transient accommodation or short-term rental (except as Schedule D allows), and anything noxious or offensive. Zoning Bylaw 2018 also bars escort and dating services in multi-residential buildings.

## Official forms and pages

- [Schedule D, Home Occupations (PDF)](https://www.victoria.ca/media/1198)
- [General Business Application and Change Form (PDF)](https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/general-business-licence-and-change-form)

## Related questions

- [Victoria business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/business-licence.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Home-based business rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/home-based-business.md)
- [Oak Bay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oak-bay/home-based-business.md)
- [Esquimalt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/home-based-business.md)
- [View Royal](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/home-based-business.md)
- [Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/home-based-business.md)
- [Colwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/home-based-business.md)
- [Langford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/home-based-business.md)

## Sources

- [Starting a Business (How to Start a Home-Based Business), City of Victoria](https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/business-hub/starting-business) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Regulation Bylaw, Schedule D, Home Occupations (PDF)](https://www.victoria.ca/media/1198) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Bylaw 2018 (PDF), section 20](https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018) (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 Victoria. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/home-based-business/_