Form 40-27 is the City of Irvine's home occupation application, the form a resident completes to run a business from home. The form states that it must be filed with the completed Business License Application, so it is one piece of an Irvine business license package for a home-based business. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF. The City of Irvine publishes the original form at cityofirvine.gov, and questions go to the Development Assistance Center at 949-724-6308.
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What is 40-27?
Form 40-27, Home Occupation Application (printed on the form as Home Occupation License Application) is the City of Irvine form on which a home-based business owner states the business, describes what it sells or does, and agrees to the city's standards for operating from a residence.
The form carries the Community Development, Building & Safety heading and is not a stand-alone license: it states that it must be filed with the completed Business License Application. It has four parts: business and applicant details, a description of the products or services, nine numbered conditions that you agree to by placing an "X" in the boxes, and a signed certification under penalty of perjury.
The notice on the form adds that issuing the license does not entitle you to carry on the business unless you comply with the city's requirements and any other applicable Federal, State or Local regulations, including private Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&R's) that govern your property. The form also warns that the business license may be revoked if the business is found not to comply with city requirements.
A box at the bottom marked For Office Use Only holds the Community Development recommendation (approve or deny), planner, date and BL# and is completed by the city, not the applicant.
Who needs to file 40-27?
Residents of Irvine who want to operate a business from their home and are applying for a business license use Form 40-27 together with the Business License Application. The applicant signs the form personally and certifies that the information is true.
You can agree to the form's conditions only if the business fits them. Among them:
- The home occupation must be incidental and accessory to the dwelling and must not change its principal character.
- The residence must not be the primary point of customer pickup, delivery or services rendered.
- There can be no signs, direct sales or other exterior evidence of the business.
- Only residents of the dwelling unit or virtual employees (employees working remotely, not on the property) may be employed.
- The business is limited to one business-related vehicle.
A sexually oriented business cannot be conducted as a home occupation business. The form does not describe any other person who may sign for the applicant.
When to file 40-27
File Form 40-27 at the time you submit the Business License Application for your home-based business, because the form says it must be filed with that application. No separate due date is printed on it.
The form says home occupation permits are approved by the City of Irvine when the listed standards are met. If the city cannot approve a home-based business, you will be invited to a hearing under City Council Ordinance No. 93-06, Sections II.M-217 and II.M-218, before the business license is denied. If you disagree with the decision made after the hearing, you may file a Notice of Appeal with the City Clerk within thirty (30) days of receiving the written decision to deny the license.
Documents you need
- The completed Business License Application, which the form says Form 40-27 must be filed with.
How to fill out 40-27
Enter business and applicant names
Write the Business Name and the Applicant Name in the first line of fields at the top of the form.
Enter home address and phone
Fill in Home Address, the address of the residence where the business will operate, and Business Phone.
Describe the business
In the box labeled Specify the Type of Business and Description of Product(s) Sold, Manufactured, or Service(s) Provided, state what the business does and what it sells, makes or provides.
Read the notice to applicants
The notice explains that the license does not let you operate unless you comply with the city's requirements, other Federal, State and Local regulations, and any CC&R's governing your property.
Mark the nine conditions
Place an "X" in the box for each of conditions 1 through 9 to agree to all of them. They cover the home's character, customer traffic, signs and direct sales, garage use, employees, equipment interference, noise and odors, and the one-vehicle limit.
Read the certification statement
The statement says your business license may be revoked if the business does not comply with city requirements, and that you certify the information is true and correct under penalty of perjury.
Leave the office-use box blank
The Community Development recommendation (approve or deny), planner, date and BL# are completed by the city.
Review, sign and download the PDF
Check the names, address, business description and marked boxes, then sign and enter the date beside Applicant Signature and Date. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and attach it to the Business License Application.
How to submit 40-27
Form 40-27 is submitted together with the completed Business License Application; the form itself prints no mailing address, portal or office hours.
- With the Business License Application: attach the signed Form 40-27 to the Business License Application and file both as the city directs for that application.
- Questions: contact the Development Assistance Center at 949-724-6308.
- City forms site: the City of Irvine's forms website says its forms may be printed, saved or submitted by email or online, and gives 949-724-6281 for questions about the forms site. Confirm with the Development Assistance Center how the Business License Application package is accepted.
Do not complete the For Office Use Only box; the city fills in the recommendation, planner, date and BL# itself. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the city's channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Filing Form 40-27 on its own instead of with the completed Business License Application, as the form requires.
- Leaving the boxes for the nine conditions unmarked; the form asks you to place an "X" in the boxes agreeing to all of them.
- Agreeing to the conditions for a business that uses signs, direct sales or other exterior evidence, which condition 4 prohibits.
- Planning to employ people who do not live in the dwelling and work on the property; condition 6 allows only residents or virtual employees.
- Using garage space required for off-street parking for the business, which condition 5 does not allow.
- Running more than one business-related vehicle from the home, when condition 9 limits it to one.
- Assuming the license overrides private CC&R's or other Federal, State or Local rules; the form says it does not.
- Submitting the form unsigned or undated, or filling in the For Office Use Only box.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form 40-27 for?
Form 40-27 is the City of Irvine's Home Occupation Application, printed as Home Occupation License Application. A home-based business owner uses it to describe the business and agree to nine operating conditions, and it is filed with the Business License Application.
Do I need Form 40-27 for an Irvine business license?
You need it if the business will be run from your home. The form states that it must be filed with the completed Business License Application. Check with the Development Assistance Center at 949-724-6308 if you are unsure whether your business qualifies.
Can I fill out Form 40-27 online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the form with the City of Irvine; you submit it with your Business License Application through the city's channels.
Where do I send the home occupation application in Irvine?
File it with the Business License Application. The form prints no address or portal, so call the Development Assistance Center at 949-724-6308 to confirm how the package is accepted.
Can I have employees in my Irvine home business?
Only residents of the dwelling unit or virtual employees, meaning employees working remotely and not on the property. Condition 6 on Form 40-27 allows no other employees in the home occupation.
Can I put up a sign or sell directly from my home business?
No. Condition 4 says there shall be no signs, direct sales or other exterior evidence relating to the home occupation. The residence also cannot be the primary point of customer pickup, delivery or services.
What happens if Irvine cannot approve my home business?
You will be invited to a hearing before the license is denied, under City Council Ordinance No. 93-06, Sections II.M-217 and II.M-218. After a denial decision you can file a Notice of Appeal with the City Clerk within thirty (30) days of receiving it.
Can my Irvine business license be revoked?
Yes. The form states that if it is determined your business does not comply with city requirements, your business license may be revoked. You certify the information is true under penalty of perjury when you sign.
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