Yakima County, WA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Sign type allowed
- one nameplate only
- UGA/RT/RS zone limit
- 2 square feet
- Other zones limit
- 8 square feet
- Additional signage
- not permitted
- Governing section
- YCC § 19.18.240(2)(i)
Summary
A home business in unincorporated Yakima County can post exactly one nameplate: up to 2 square feet inside the Urban Growth Area or the RT and RS zones, and up to 8 square feet everywhere else, under YCC § 19.18.240(2)(i).
Signage shall be limited to one nameplate of up to two square feet in the Urban Growth Area, RT, and RS zones, and up to eight square feet in other zones.
(j) Business Not Transferable to Future Property Owners. Approval of a home business shall benefit only the individuals making the application and shall not be transferable to future property owners. Further continuation of the home business shall be subject to new review upon property transfer.
(3) Minor Home Businesses Not Subject to Review. Minor home businesses that are limited to those of a home office character (typified by uses similar to an accountant, tax preparer, business administration) are not subject to Type 1 Review if they meet the standards listed in Subsection (2) above.
(4) Uses Not Permitted as Home Businesses. The following uses, by the nature of their operation or investment, have a pronounced tendency, once started, to increase beyond the limits permitted for home businesses, interfere with or impair the use and value of adjoining properties, or violate the restriction of no exterior evidence (e.g., outward physical appearance; outside storage of materials, supplies or vehicles; generate noise, dust, fumes, odors, electrical interference, vibrations, excessive traffic, etc.). Therefore, the uses listed below shall not be permitted as home businesses:
(a) Adult entertainment facilities;
(b) Beauty salons and barber shops with more than one chair;
(c) Boarding or lodging houses;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4871853; v6 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
240(2)(i) is the sole sign allowance for a home business operating out of a house in unincorporated Yakima County: one nameplate, capped at two square feet inside the Urban Growth Area and the Rural Transitional and Rural Settlement zones, or up to eight square feet in every other zoning district where a home business is allowed. 240, while home businesses further out in the county's rural and resource zones get more sign area because neighboring lots sit farther apart. The sign allowance is also the single carve-out from subsection (2)(f)'s general rule that there shall be no exterior evidence of a home business other than a permitted sign and allowed vehicles for deliveries, employees, and customers.
That means a nameplate sized within these limits is the only exterior marker a minor or major home business can display: no additional banners, window signs, or freestanding signage beyond the one nameplate, and nothing that would make the lot read as commercial rather than residential from the street. Because the sign is tied to the underlying home business approval, exceeding the two- or eight-square-foot cap, or adding a second sign, puts the business out of compliance with the terms of its Type 1 Review approval, or its subsection (3) exemption for qualifying home-office businesses, in the same way exceeding the parking or delivery-hour limits would.
Violations & Fines
Posting a sign larger than the § 19.18.240(2)(i) cap, or adding a second sign, violates the conditions of the home business's approval and the Title 19 no-exterior-evidence standard in subsection (2)(f). The Building Official enforces Title 19 under § 19.01.060, referring unresolved cases through Chapter 13.25 and Title 21 Code Enforcement; absent a specific penalty, YCC § 1.24.010 makes the violation a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $250 fine, 90 days in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big can a home business sign be in unincorporated Yakima County?
Can a home business post more than one sign?
Does the sign limit apply to both minor and major home businesses?
What happens if a home business sign is too big?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yakima County
Compare Yakima County to another location·View the Washington home business overview
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