Clay, NY Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Section 230-27I(2)(a)[7] requires that a home occupation show no exterior display or indication of the activity that is visible to the general public. The subsection lists several prohibited forms of display, including outdoor sales or display of items, outdoor storage of materials or vehicles, and any exterior structural alteration such as a new entrance or added parking. Signage is addressed specifically in § 230-27I(2)(a)[7][b]: a home occupation may have one identification sign, capped at two square feet, and that sign is also subject to the general sign standards of § 230-22, meaning it still needs to meet the placement, illumination, and maintenance rules that apply to every other sign in Town.

Because the standard applies per home occupation, and the code allows only one home occupation per dwelling unit under § 230-27I(2)(a)[1], a residential property is limited to a single two-square-foot sign regardless of how many services the home business offers. A larger sign, an internally lit sign beyond the general illumination limits, or a second identification sign is treated the same as any other unauthorized exterior display and can jeopardize the underlying special permit issued by the Zoning Board of Appeals, since the ZBA may impose additional conditions or revisit approval when a home occupation departs from its approved standards.