---
title: "Dog Business From Home in Tennessee: Zoning and Permits | DogServ"
description: "Can your home host a dog business in Tennessee? Zoning, Nashville's home-occupation permit, dog limits, leases, HOAs and the business license, in order."
url: "https://dogserv.com/running-a-dog-business-from-home-in-tennessee/"
lang: "en"
published: "2026-09-14"
image: "https://dogserv.com/og/blog-running-a-dog-business-from-home-in-tennessee.jpg"
alternates:
  es: "https://dogserv.com/es/negocio-de-cuidado-de-perros-en-casa-en-tennessee.md"
---

# Running a Dog Business From Home in Tennessee: Zoning, Permits and Dog Limits

By [Cal Hewitt](https://dogserv.com/authors/calvin-hewitt/) · Published September 14, 2026

![Treeing Walker coonhound lying on the porch of a white farmhouse style home with a swing and rocking chairs and green hills behind](https://dogserv.com/blog/running-a-dog-business-from-home-in-tennessee/featured.jpg)

Whether your house or apartment can host a dog business is decided by the zoning office for that exact address. Call the city planning or codes office first, or the county zoning office if you live outside city limits. Tennessee does not set one statewide home dog-count number, and it does not issue one statewide license for [dog walking](https://dogserv.com/how-to-start-a-dog-walking-business/), sitting, grooming, training, boarding, daycare or waste removal.

The state handles business-tax licensing; your city or county decides what can happen on the property. I'm Cal, and I help home-based dog businesses get found online. I'm not a lawyer, so treat the offices below as the ones who give you the real ruling.

### Key takeaways

- The local zoning, codes or planning office decides if your address can host the activity.
- Tennessee has no single statewide home dog limit; ask city zoning and county animal control.
- Nashville's home-occupation permit needs an application, an affidavit, proof of primary residence and written notice to adjacent owners.
- A Nashville home-occupation permit is not automatic approval for boarding, daycare, grooming or bathing.
- A local business license is generally required above $3,000 in receipts; an LLC does not replace zoning approval.
- Get every answer in writing before you accept the first client dog.

## Can your address host the business at all?

You want to avoid opening an operation that a neighbor's complaint can shut down, so start with the address, not the paperwork. Zoning, home-occupation rules, building and fire review, and animal control are all handled locally in Tennessee. The state's business-tax rules sit in Tenn. Code Ann. Title 67, Chapter 4, and they cover licensing, not whether you may keep client dogs in a residential building.

The U.S. Small Business Administration says that where you operate determines your taxes, zoning laws and regulations, and that a home-based business can still be subject to zoning ordinances. Its Tennessee guidance points owners to their local licensing and zoning offices, and that is where you start.

Here is the order I'd work in before taking any dog:

1.  Pin down the exact address and which city or county has jurisdiction over it.
2.  Write down the exact service: walking, sitting, grooming, [training](https://dogserv.com/how-to-start-a-dog-training-business/), boarding, daycare or waste removal.
3.  Ask planning or codes whether that use is allowed there and whether a home-occupation permit applies.
4.  Ask animal control about dog numbers and kennel rules.
5.  Read your lease, HOA rules and covenants.
6.  Then check the county and city business license.

The question to put to the planning or codes office is this one: "At this exact address, may I operate \[specific service\], with \[number\] client dogs present at one time, including \[overnight stays, daycare, grooming, bathing and customer drop-off\]? What permit, zoning approval, building or fire review, animal-control approval and fee apply?" Send it in writing and keep the reply.

## What does Nashville's home-occupation permit require?

Nashville Codes sets out what a home-occupation application needs. In Nashville you submit:

- A Residential Permit Application.
- The Codes Department affidavit.
- Confirmation that the activity does not violate any HOA, condominium, covenant, code, restriction, lease or other agreement.
- If you are not the owner, confirmation that the property owner knows about the business and does not object.
- Proof that the property is your primary residence, using two documents.
- Written notice to each adjacent property owner before you apply.

There are ownership rules too. The property owner must be a natural person or a trust, not an LLC, corporation, partnership or joint venture. A renter needs at least a one-year lease. In single-family and two-family districts, Nashville issues no more than one home-occupation permit per lot. One permit is allowed per property owner, and permits are not transferable, so if you move, you start over at the new address.

Nashville's home-occupation page was last updated February 7, 2025. Check [Nashville Codes' home-occupation page](https://www.nashville.gov/departments/codes/construction-and-permits/land-use-and-zoning-information/zoning-examinations/home-occupation-permits) before you apply, because forms and steps can change.

![Sleepy basset hound lying on a braided rug in the front hallway of a brick ranch house beside a console table](https://dogserv.com/blog/running-a-dog-business-from-home-in-tennessee/home-permit.jpg)

## Does a home permit cover grooming, boarding and daycare?

Not automatically. Nashville's home-occupation page says certain businesses may run in residential homes under rules adopted July 7, 2020, and extended indefinitely by Resolution RS2022-1380 on February 15, 2022. That page gives no blanket permission for boarding, daycare, grooming or bathing in RS5, R10 or any other residential district. You describe the proposed activity to Codes, and Codes confirms whether the use fits at your address.

Boarding is where owners most often get caught. Nashville's [BL2008-167](https://legisarchive.nashville.gov/mc/ordinances/term_2007_2011/bl2008_167.html) defines an "animal boarding facility" as buildings or land used for temporary boarding, care and grooming of dogs and cats for profit. It makes that use permitted with conditions in the IWD and IR industrial districts. Those conditions include a 200-foot building setback and a 100-foot kennel-run setback from existing residences, weather protection, impervious cleanable floors and cage-space requirements.

So, a home-occupation permit should not be read as permission for commercial boarding or daycare in a house. If you plan overnight stays, daycare, grooming or bathing, ask Nashville Codes about that exact address and that exact activity before you spend money on equipment. Facility and kennel-zoning detail has its own page: [opening a dog boarding kennel in Tennessee](https://dogserv.com/opening-a-dog-boarding-kennel-in-tennessee/).

## What limits does Nashville put on visits, staff, signs and space?

Nashville's code-enforcement page lists the neighbor-facing conditions for a business in a residence:

- No more than three customer visits per hour and six per day.
- No visible business sign from the dwelling.
- One nonresident employee.
- A home-occupation area of no more than 20 percent of the premises or 500 square feet, whichever is smaller.

Those numbers shape the business model. A walker or sitter who goes to clients' homes makes few visits to your door, so these limits rarely come up. A groomer with a steady stream of drop-offs can pass six visits in a day quickly, and parking, noise, waste and drainage are the issues neighbors tend to complain about. Plan drop-off times with the limits in mind, and read the [Nashville code-enforcement violation types](https://www.nashville.gov/departments/codes/property-standards/code-enforcement/codes-violation-types) so you know what a complaint would be measured against.

If grooming is your plan and you would rather not take customers to your door at all, [starting a mobile dog grooming business in Tennessee](https://dogserv.com/starting-a-mobile-dog-grooming-business-in-tennessee/) covers that route.

Nashville and Tennessee home-business figures

| Item | Figure | Office |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ItemCustomer visits | FigureNo more than 3 per hour and 6 per day | OfficeNashville Codes |
| ItemHome-occupation area | FigureNo more than 20% of the premises and 500 sq ft | OfficeNashville Codes |
| ItemNonresident employees | Figure1 | OfficeNashville Codes |
| ItemPermits per lot (single and two-family) | Figure1 | OfficeNashville Codes |
| ItemBoarding building setback | Figure200 feet from an existing residence | OfficeMetro Nashville, BL2008-167 |
| ItemKennel-run setback | Figure100 feet from an existing residence | OfficeMetro Nashville, BL2008-167 |
| ItemMinimal activity license | Figure$15, receipts over $3,000 and under $100,000 | OfficeTennessee Department of Revenue |
| ItemStandard business license | Figure$15, receipts of $100,000 or more | OfficeTennessee Department of Revenue |

![Fluffy cream Pomeranian sitting on a tiled laundry room floor beside a raised grooming table and folded towels](https://dogserv.com/blog/running-a-dog-business-from-home-in-tennessee/visits-and-space.jpg)

## How many dogs can you keep at home?

Tennessee does not set one dog-count number for every home dog business. The number that applies to you comes from your city's zoning or codes office and from the county or municipal animal-control office, for your zoning district and your activity. The answer can differ for your own pets, pet sitting, boarding, daycare, breeding, grooming and temporary custody, so ask about the specific service rather than "how many dogs can I have."

When you call, ask for the number of client dogs allowed at one time, whether that is different from your own dogs, and whether overnight stays change the answer. Ask animal control separately whether a kennel permit applies. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Animal Health office handles the state animal rules, including chapters 0080-02-12, Dogs and Cats, and 0080-02-15, Dog and Cat Dealers; it can answer which state rules touch your service. Breeders should also read [breeding dogs in Tennessee](https://dogserv.com/breeding-dogs-in-tennessee/).

## Which office do you ask in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Clarksville and Murfreesboro?

Each of these cities has its own planning office, and each one decides for its own zoning districts:

- Memphis: the Memphis Division of Planning and Development.
- Knoxville: Knoxville-Knox County Planning.
- Chattanooga: the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency.
- Clarksville: the Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission.
- Murfreesboro: the Murfreesboro Planning Department.

Put the same written question to whichever office covers you: whether your exact address and activity are permitted, whether a home-occupation permit or kennel approval is required, whether customer dogs may visit or stay overnight, whether there is a dog-count limit, and what fees apply. City-specific conditions and fees are not the same as Nashville's, so do not assume Nashville's visit limits or permit steps carry over. Also ask the applicable animal-control office for an address-specific answer in writing.

If English is your second language, ask the office for Spanish assistance or a translated explanation before you fill out forms. The Nashville permit page is in English.

![Black and tan shepherd mix sitting on a sidewalk in front of a red brick bungalow with a magnolia tree](https://dogserv.com/blog/running-a-dog-business-from-home-in-tennessee/city-planning.jpg)

## What if you live outside city limits?

On unincorporated county property, the calls change. In order:

1.  The county zoning or planning office.
2.  The county animal-control office.
3.  The county clerk, for the business license.
4.  The Tennessee Department of Revenue, for business-tax registration questions.

Ask whether your parcel allows a home occupation, kennel, boarding, daycare or grooming use, and whether a county permit is required. Ask whether there is a dog-count, noise, waste or setback rule, and whether septic, building or fire review applies. A rural property can feel like it has fewer rules, but septic and wastewater from bathing and kennel cleanup are exactly the kind of thing a county asks about.

## Do your lease, HOA or covenants still apply?

Yes, even if zoning says yes. A lease, HOA declaration, condominium agreement, covenant or other private agreement can restrict the business on its own. Nashville takes this seriously enough to build it into the application: the affidavit you sign addresses HOA, condominium, covenant, lease and other property-use restrictions, and a renter needs the owner to know about the business and not object.

If you rent or live in an HOA, read the documents before you apply and get the landlord's or association's permission in writing. Keep that letter with your zoning reply. A zoning approval will not protect you from a landlord who ends your lease over client dogs.

![Grey miniature poodle lying on a sofa cushion in a bright apartment living room beside a window with green trees](https://dogserv.com/blog/running-a-dog-business-from-home-in-tennessee/lease-and-hoa.jpg)

## Which business license does a home business need?

The business license is separate from zoning. Tennessee business licenses are issued through county and municipal officials; the Department of Revenue does not issue the local license, and a license does not give you permission to use a property commercially. The Tennessee Department of Revenue explains the steps, and the license rules fall under Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-4-723.

- Receipts of $3,000 or less: no business license is generally required.
- More than $3,000 and less than $100,000: a $15 minimal activity license from the county clerk and, where it applies, the municipal clerk. Renewal is $15.
- $100,000 or more: a $15 standard business license, business-tax registration and the required return. The minimum business tax for classifications 1 through 4 is $22.

A separate license may apply in each relevant county or municipality, so ask both clerks. The Revenue Department's registration processing can take up to 10 business days. The state's [business license requirements for dog businesses](https://dogserv.com/tennessee-dog-business-license-requirements/) are covered on their own page, and [sales tax on pet services](https://dogserv.com/tennessee-sales-tax-on-pet-services/) is a separate question again.

An LLC is also a separate step. If you form an LLC or corporation, you file with the Tennessee Secretary of State and give the business address the filing requires. That filing does not replace zoning or home-occupation approval, and an LLC cannot hold a Nashville home-occupation permit as the owner. The IRS says an EIN application must identify a responsible individual, and that a single-member LLC may be disregarded for federal income-tax purposes unless it elects corporate treatment. Ask an insurance professional what coverage fits home dog care; I can't tell you what a policy will cover.

## Questions

Short answers to the questions I'd want answered first. Each one points back to the office that rules on it.

### Can I run my dog grooming business from home in Tennessee?

Possibly. Whether grooming or bathing is allowed depends on your address's zoning and on your city's or county's home-occupation rules, and in Nashville the permit does not automatically cover it. Ask the planning or codes office for written confirmation before you book clients.

### How many dogs can you have per household in Tennessee?

No statewide number applies to every household or every business. Ask your city zoning office and your county or municipal animal-control office for the limit at your address, and say whether the dogs are your own or clients'.

### What are RS5 and R10 zoning in Nashville?

They are residential zoning districts in Nashville. Being in one does not by itself allow boarding, daycare, grooming or bathing; you describe the activity to Nashville Codes and confirm the use for your address.

### Do I need a license to watch dogs in my home?

Tennessee has no single statewide occupational license for pet sitting. If your receipts go over $3,000, a local business license is generally required, and the home use still needs a yes from zoning, so check both.

## What should you do this week?

Look up your exact address and decide which office covers it. Write one clear message that states your service and the number of dogs, and send it to the planning or codes office and to animal control. Read your lease or HOA documents while you wait.

Keep every reply, permit number, license, landlord or HOA approval and, once you start, your dog intake records and incident notes. Once the approvals are in hand, you can build the website and the profile that bring in the clients your address can legally hold. You can [list your home business on DogServ](https://dogserv.com/directory/add-a-business/), and if you want help with the website, [contact me](https://dogserv.com/contact/).

## Sources

- **legisarchive.nashville.gov**: [BL2008-167](https://legisarchive.nashville.gov/mc/ordinances/term_2007_2011/bl2008_167.html)
- **nashville.gov**: [Nashville code-enforcement violation types](https://www.nashville.gov/departments/codes/property-standards/code-enforcement/codes-violation-types)
- **nashville.gov**: [Nashville Codes' home-occupation page](https://www.nashville.gov/departments/codes/construction-and-permits/land-use-and-zoning-information/zoning-examinations/home-occupation-permits)