Apex UDO Sec. 4.5.5.G strictly limits home occupation signage to a single 12 in. x 12 in. placard at the front door (per Sec. 8.7.1.A.2 Home Occupation Signs). A separate Home Occupation sign permit must be obtained from the Planning Department. Plastic or acrylic faces are prohibited, the sign may not be internally lit, and external lighting must be traditional residential. The street address may not be advertised via billboards, TV, radio, newspapers, websites, or social media.
Sec. 4.5.5.G of the Apex UDO categorizes signage as 'External Evidence' that is otherwise prohibited. The single permitted exception is a small placard authorized under UDO Sec. 8.7.1.A.2 Home Occupation Signs, but only after a separate Home Occupation sign permit is obtained from the Apex Planning Department. The placard standards are: (a) maximum dimensions of 12 inches by 12 inches; (b) placed no higher than 6 feet above grade at the front door; (c) no internal illumination — external lighting must be limited to traditional residential lighting fixtures; (d) plastic and acrylic sign faces are prohibited under Sec. 8.7.4 Sign Design and Color. Yard signs, window signs, A-frames, banners, monument signs, inflatables, and post-mounted commercial signs are not permitted in any residential district. The UDO also bars indirect advertising — the street address of the home occupation cannot be advertised on signs, billboards, television, radio, newspapers, websites, or social media. Sec. 4.5.5.D 'Essential Character' reinforces the rule by prohibiting any change in the dwelling's residential character. Vehicle signage on the single permitted home-occupation vehicle (which must fit in a standard 9 ft x 18 ft parking space) is allowed, but commercial trucks (dump trucks, fuel oil trucks, delivery trucks, wreckers) are prohibited under Sec. 4.5.5.J.
Sign violations are enforced by the Apex Planning Department as zoning violations under NCGS § 160D-404 and § 160D-1119. The Planning Department may issue a notice of violation requiring sign removal; continued violation may result in civil penalties, stop-use orders, and equitable relief through Wake County court. Posting a sign or banner without an approved Home Occupation sign permit is also a separate violation of Sec. 8.7 Signs.
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