Allegany County, MD Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Section 360-137D pairs two residential sign allowances in a single sentence: a residence can post a temporary 'for sale' or 'for rent' sign no larger than six square feet, and a home occupation sign of that same size, up to six square feet, is allowed. The section ties the home occupation sign specifically to the lot where the home occupation has been permitted, meaning the sign cannot be relocated to advertise the business from a different property, roadside lot or off-site location even under the same ownership.

Because the allowance sits inside § 360-137, Lighting, Signs and Billboards, the six-square-foot home occupation sign also has to comply with the chapter's general sign rules: no flashing lighted signs are permitted under § 360-137E, and all lighting on or near the sign must be shielded and focused on the site to avoid creating a nuisance for neighbors or passing motorists under § 360-137F. The six-square-foot cap is materially smaller than the signage available to a conventional commercial use in the same county: an on-site sign for a business in the B-1, B-2, I or GU Districts is instead governed by the height and setback standards of §§ 360-126 and 360-128, with no comparable area ceiling in that section.

That gap reflects the code's general approach to home occupations as an accessory use layered onto a residential lot rather than a standalone commercial use, so the modest sign allowance is the tradeoff for running the business from a home in the first place.