Quick Answer: Who Needs a Nashville Home Occupation Permit?
You need a Nashville home occupation permit if customers come to your home or if anyone who does not live there works at your home. Under Metro Code Section 17.16.250.D, as replaced by Ordinance BL2026-1318, a home business is exempt only when both things are true: it serves no customers on the property and it employs nobody from outside the household. To apply, you email the Metro Codes zoning help desk at zoninghelpdesk@nashville.gov with the materials listed on the Codes Department page. You deal with Metro Codes directly; no agent or paid filing service is needed.
Last updated: November 2026. The rules below come from the ordinance text and official Metro Nashville, Davidson County Clerk, Tennessee Department of Revenue and Google pages opened this month. This is general information, not legal advice; the Codes Department has the final say on your address.
Key Takeaways
- When it applies: customer visits to the home or one non-resident employee trigger the permit; a home business with neither is exempt from the permit.
- Current rules: Ordinance BL2026-1318 passed third reading on May 19, 2026 and is recorded as effective May 29, 2026. It allows visits by scheduled appointment, up to 12 customers per day.
- How to apply: email zoninghelpdesk@nashville.gov with the Residential Permit Application, the Codes affidavit, two proofs of primary residence and proof that you notified every adjacent property owner in writing.
- Permit term: a home occupation permit expires three years after it is issued unless you renew it first.
- Separate licence: the permit is zoning approval only. The Davidson County Clerk business license is a different step, at $30 inside the Urban Service District and $15 in the General Service District.
- Online presence: because visits must be by appointment, a booking page and a correctly set up Google Business Profile do the work a shop sign would do elsewhere.
What Changed for Nashville Home Businesses in 2026?
The Metro Council adopted legislation on July 7, 2020 allowing certain types of businesses to operate in residential homes under new permitting rules, which the Codes Department says was extended indefinitely by Resolution RS2022-1380 on February 15, 2022. In 2026 the Metro Council rewrote the whole subsection. The Metro Council legislation record for BL2026-1318 shows the substitute bill passing third reading on May 19, 2026, approval by the Mayor on May 21, 2026, and an effective date of May 29, 2026.
One thing to know before you read the city website: the Codes Department home occupation page shows a last-updated date of February 7, 2025, which is before the 2026 ordinance. The application materials it lists match the new ordinance, but for limits such as daily customers and permit length, rely on the ordinance text and confirm anything unclear with the zoning help desk.
What Are the Rules for a Home Business in Nashville?
These limits are taken from the substitute ordinance text. They apply to home occupations in general, and the customer rules apply to permit holders.
- Location: the business must run entirely inside the dwelling or an accessory building and stay secondary to the residential use.
- Customers: visits are by scheduled appointment, for one customer or a group, with no more than 12 total customers per day.
- Employees: no more than one part-time or full-time employee who lives elsewhere may work at the home.
- Vehicles and deliveries: one passenger vehicle associated with the business; no truck deliveries or pick-ups other than public or private parcel services.
- Appearance: the home must keep its residential character, and a business that would need structural changes to meet a non-residential construction code is not allowed (accessibility changes are excepted).
- Nuisance: no noise, vibration, smoke, dust, odour, glare, fumes or similar effects outside the building.
- Storage: materials and goods must be kept completely inside the dwelling or accessory building.
- Signs: signs are governed by Chapter 17.32 of the Metro Code, so ask the zoning help desk before putting up any sign.
The ordinance lists the kinds of home businesses that may receive customers: personal instruction (academics, arts, fitness, crafts and similar), general office and professional services other than medical services, personal care services such as spa, beauty and barber care, indoor multimedia production where sound does not leave the premises, artisan manufacturing with hand, mechanical or electronic tools, and repair or assembly of non-powered equipment such as bicycles. It prohibits automobile manufacture or repair, outdoor storage of construction, scrap or salvage materials, and animal grooming as home occupations.
How to Apply for a Nashville Home Occupation Permit — Step by Step
Every step is done directly with Metro Nashville. Nobody needs to file this for you, and you should not pay a third-party website to "obtain" the permit.
- Step 1 — Check that you qualify: the home must be your primary residence. You must be the property owner, a relative of the owner, or a renter with at least a one-year lease. The Codes page adds that the property owner must be a natural person or a trust, not an LLC, corporation, partnership or joint venture.
- Step 2 — Check private restrictions: read your HOA bylaws, condominium agreement, covenants and lease. You will sign an affidavit that the business does not violate any of them.
- Step 3 — Notify the neighbours in writing: before you apply, give written notice to the owner of each adjacent property. The ordinance accepts three forms of proof: an owner signature, a signed receipt for U.S. registered or certified mail, or a Postal Service notice that the mail was refused or not accepted in time.
- Step 4 — Gather two proofs of primary residence: each must be current and show your name and the property address. Accepted documents include a Tennessee driver license or state ID, a Davidson County voter registration card, an employer letter verifying your address, a current auto, life or health insurance policy (wallet cards are not accepted), a pay stub, a work ID or badge, an IRS W-2 or a bank statement.
- Step 5 — Renters, get the landlord letter: a renter must provide a letter showing the landlord approves the use of the property for a home occupation.
- Step 6 — Fill in the Residential Permit Application: it asks for the property address, the parcel ID (required), contact details, the property owner and a description of the intended use.
- Step 7 — Email everything to zoninghelpdesk@nashville.gov: ask for the home occupation affidavit in the same message, since the Codes page says the department provides it.
- Step 8 — Answer the zoning examiner and pay: the application is assigned to a zoning examiner, who contacts you by email or phone if anything is missing. The permit is issued once approved and paid for.
Official links for these steps: the Residential Permit Application (PDF), the Metro Parcel Viewer for your parcel ID and the Codes Department home occupation page. The Codes Department is on the 1st floor of the Metro Office Building, 800 President Ronald Reagan Way, Nashville, TN 37210, phone 615-862-6500, open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Limits to keep in mind: in single-family and two-family zoning districts only one home occupation permit may be issued per lot, only one permit may be issued per property owner, no person may hold more than one, and a permit cannot be transferred to another person or address. It becomes void when you move out.
How Much Does the Permit Cost and How Long Does It Last?
The Codes Department page does not publish a fee. Metro's own Roadmap to Starting a Business in Nashville shows $50 beside the home-based business step that points to the home occupation permit. Treat that as a guide and confirm the current amount with the zoning help desk before you pay. No processing time is published either, so ask the examiner when you apply and do not book paying customers at home until the permit is issued.
Under the 2026 ordinance, a home occupation permit expires three years after it is issued unless it is renewed before that date. A renewal must include a sworn statement that the business still complies with Section 17.16.250.D. The ordinance lets the Codes Department set further renewal rules, so ask how to renew when your permit is issued and put the expiry date in your calendar.
Enforcement is real. The ordinance sets a fine of fifty dollars per day, per violation. If final court orders find a permit holder in violation twice within twelve months, the zoning administrator may revoke the permit, and no new home occupation permit can be issued to that applicant for one year. A revocation can be appealed to the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Do You Still Need a Business License and Tax Registration?
Yes. The home occupation permit is zoning approval, not a business licence. Metro's roadmap states that a business license is required for all businesses, including home-based ones. The Davidson County Clerk lists the fee as $30 if the business is inside the Nashville city limits (Urban Service District) and $15 if it is outside the city limits but in Davidson County (General Service District). You can apply online or with the printed form and will need the business name, address and phone, the owner details and a copy of the owner driver license.
Which licence you hold depends on sales. The Tennessee Department of Revenue says an in-state location with gross receipts of more than $3,000 but less than $100,000 needs a minimal activity license from the county or municipal clerk, and a standard business license at $100,000 or more. If you sell taxable goods or services, you also deal with sales tax: Tennessee's general state rate is 7%, plus a local rate that varies by county or city, and registration is done through the Department of Revenue.
How Should a Home-Based Nashville Business Show Up on Google?
A home business cannot rely on foot traffic or a shop front, and Nashville limits you to scheduled appointments. That makes your online presence the front door. Three parts matter most.
Google Business Profile address. The address on a Business Profile is public, and Google's guidelines say businesses that show an address should maintain permanent fixed signage of the business name there. Google's service-area help page adds that a business without permanent on-site signage is not eligible as a storefront and should be listed as a service-area business. For most home businesses that means turning off "Show business address to customers" under Edit profile, then Location, as described on Google's business address page, and listing the areas you serve instead. You can set up to 20 service areas by city or postal code, within about two hours of driving time from your base.
Hours and booking. Google's guidelines say businesses that operate only by appointment should not provide hours. Rather than listing opening times that invite walk-ins, add your booking link and phone number to the profile, and make it clear on your website that visits are by appointment only. That wording also protects you with the neighbours and with Codes.
A website that takes appointments. Our practical suggestion, not a city requirement: use a booking tool that lets you cap daily slots so you never schedule more than 12 customers in a day, and keep the booking records in case a complaint is filed. A small site with services, prices, a booking page and your service area is enough to start; our website cost guide explains what that typically involves, and our guide to messaging on Google Business Profile covers letting customers contact you from the profile.
You can do all of this yourself. Google notes that Business Profile is a tool that can be used at no charge, although third parties often charge to manage it. ITSolutionNYC is based in Louisville, KY and works with clients remotely; we do not have a Nashville office. If you would rather hand over the website and profile set-up, our local SEO service covers it. Nobody can guarantee a ranking on Google; accurate information, a clear service area and genuine reviews are what improve your chances.
What Mistakes Get Applications Delayed or Permits Revoked?
- Notifying neighbours after applying: the ordinance requires proof of written notice to each adjacent owner before the application is filed.
- Weak proof of residence: documents must be current and show your name with the same address as the property; insurance wallet cards are not accepted.
- Missing parcel ID: the application marks it as required. Look it up in the Metro Parcel Viewer first.
- Property owned by an LLC: the Codes page says owners must be natural persons or a trust.
- No landlord letter: renters need a lease of at least one year and written landlord approval.
- Advertising walk-in hours: customers may visit only by scheduled appointment, up to 12 per day.
- A second outside employee or a work truck fleet: the limits are one non-resident employee and one passenger vehicle.
- Letting the permit lapse: it expires after three years unless renewed beforehand.
Checklist before you email the zoning help desk: completed Residential Permit Application with parcel ID; two proofs of primary residence; proof of written notice for every adjacent property; landlord letter if you rent; a short description of the business, expected customer visits and any non-resident employee; and a request for the home occupation affidavit.
Sources
Metro Nashville Codes — Home Occupation Permits · Metro Council — Substitute Ordinance BL2026-1318 (PDF) · Metro Council — BL2026-1318 legislation record and history · Metro Nashville Codes — Residential Permit Application (PDF) · Metro Nashville — Parcel Viewer · Metro Nashville — Your Roadmap to Starting a Business in Nashville (PDF) · Davidson County Clerk — Apply for Business License · Tennessee Department of Revenue — Business Tax Registration and Licensing · Tennessee Department of Revenue — Sales and Use Tax · Google — Guidelines for representing your business on Google · Google — Manage your service areas · Google — Manage your business address · Google — Tips for working with third parties
Conclusion
A Nashville home occupation permit is required as soon as customers visit your home or a non-resident employee works there. Notify the adjacent owners in writing, gather two proofs of residence, complete the Residential Permit Application and email zoninghelpdesk@nashville.gov yourself. Keep visits to scheduled appointments, no more than 12 customers a day, renew before the three-year expiry, and get the separate Davidson County business license.