Dougherty County, GA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Home sign size limit
- 2 square feet maximum
- Illumination
- Not permitted
- Number allowed
- One nameplate per home occupation
- Applicable corridors
- U.S. 82, U.S. 19, SR 300
- Governing section
- Code § 2-13-25
Summary
Along the U.S. 82, U.S. 19 and State Route 300 corridors in unincorporated Dougherty County, a home occupation may display only one nonilluminated nameplate of two square feet or less under Code § 2-13-25, part of the county's outdoor advertising sign article.
This article shall apply to all outdoor advertising signs abutting or visible from the right-of-way of U.S. 82, U.S. 19 and State Route 300 in the county, outside of city limits. ... One (1) nonilluminated professional or business nameplate not exceeding two (2) square feet in area is permitted incident to a home occupation.
Full Breakdown
S. S. 3 sign resolution covers the rest of the unincorporated area. Within that corridor, § 2-13-25 permits a home occupation to display one nonilluminated professional or business nameplate, capped at two (2) square feet in area. The nameplate cannot be illuminated at all, unlike the construction, subdivision and directional signs also allowed nearby in §§ 2-13-26 through 2-13-28, which permit larger, though still nonilluminated, signage for other temporary purposes such as active construction (up to 40 square feet) or land subdivision marketing (up to 40 square feet, spaced 300 feet apart).
Because Article II sets no separate penalty section, a sign that exceeds two square feet, is illuminated, or otherwise fails to comply with § 2-13-21's general compliance requirement is subject to removal and to the county's general Code violation penalty in § 2-1-8. 3-31(b)(1), producing the same two-square-foot ceiling countywide even though the two chapters technically apply to different roads.
Violations & Fines
Erecting a home occupation sign larger than two square feet, or illuminating it, violates the compliance requirement in Code § 2-13-21 and is not authorized under § 2-13-25's nameplate exception. Because Article II sets no sign-specific fine, violations default to the general county penalty in § 2-1-8: a fine of up to $1,000.00, up to 60 days in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big can a home business sign be in unincorporated Dougherty County?
Can a home business sign be lit up at night?
Does this sign limit apply everywhere in the county?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dougherty County
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