Berkeley, CA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

040(C)(10) is unambiguous: no on-site signs identifying or advertising the home occupation are allowed. 040(C), meaning it reaches Class I businesses running on a Zoning Certificate just as much as Class III operations under a full Use Permit in a commercial district. The rule targets the physical premises where the business operates, not marketing generally; a home business can still advertise through other channels such as websites, print, or word of mouth, but cannot post a placard, window sign, sandwich board, or yard sign at the residence itself identifying the business or its services.

040(C)(4). Together these standards preserve the residential appearance of a property while still allowing an incidental business to operate inside it. The Zoning Officer treats any observed on-site advertising as grounds for the same documented-complaint review that governs other home occupation standards, potentially leading to added conditions or permit revocation.