Pasadena Customer Traffic Restrictions Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 17.50 contains one of the most explicit customer-traffic prohibitions among Southern California cities. The ordinance categorically provides that no customer, client, patient, or other business-related visitor may come to the residence as part of a home occupation. This prohibition covers all forms of client interaction at the home: in-person tutoring sessions, private music lessons, hair salon services, physical therapy or massage sessions, medical or mental health consultations, retail sales from the home, and business meetings with associates or clients. Any home business that requires a client to visit the property does not qualify as a home occupation under the standard allowance and must instead obtain a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) from the Pasadena Planning Commission, which involves a public hearing and additional conditions.

The rationale for the prohibition is traffic and parking: client visits in a residential neighborhood generate parking demand, foot traffic, and potentially noise that are inconsistent with the residential character of the zone. Even a small number of daily client visits can significantly alter the feel of a residential block. Delivery traffic is similarly limited: commercial shipments to the home beyond what a typical household would receive (such as regular freight or wholesale deliveries) are also prohibited, as they generate truck traffic and suggest a level of commercial activity inconsistent with a home occupation. Pasadena does not make exceptions for small client volumes or appointment-only schedules under the standard home occupation rules — even a single client visit per week technically requires a CUP. In practice, enforcement is complaint-driven; neighbors who observe recurring business-related traffic and parking can initiate Code Compliance review by calling (626) 744-4633.