Rock Island County, IL Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Major occupation sign
- 1 sign, 2 sq ft maximum
- Sign illumination
- Not permitted
- Minor occupation sign
- No signage allowed at all
- Goods display
- Nothing visible from outside
- Penalty
- $25-$200 per offense, § 154.999
Summary
A major home occupation in unincorporated Rock Island County may post exactly one sign, no larger than two square feet and never illuminated. A minor home occupation gets no sign at all: the code bars any advertising, display or other outward indication that a business is being run from the house.
(A)(4) Shall have no signs present on the property except for one sign, not exceeding two square feet and not illuminated... (B)(4) [Minor home occupations] Shall have no advertising, display, or other indications of a home occupation on the premises.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-1: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 2024-12-A, passed 12-17-2024; and State legislation current through 2024 Illinois Legislative Service, Pamphlet #6).
Full Breakdown
047 draws a hard line on home-business signage between its two tiers. For a major home occupation, (A)(4) allows the property "no signs present on the property except for one sign, not exceeding two square feet and not illuminated," so even the approved tier is limited to a single small, unlit placard. For a minor home occupation, (B)(4) is more restrictive still: it requires the operation to have "no advertising, display, or other indications of a home occupation on the premises," which rules out any sign whatsoever, along with window displays or other visible marketing.
Because a minor occupation is also barred from having non-resident customers under (B), the no-sign rule is consistent with keeping the business invisible from the street. Both tiers separately require that there be no storage or display of goods visible from outside the structure. 172(C).
Violations & Fines
Posting a sign for a minor home occupation, or exceeding the two-square-foot, non-illuminated limit for a major home occupation's single sign, is a violation of Chapter 154 enforceable under § 154.999(A): a $25 to $200 forfeiture per offense plus prosecution costs, up to 30 days in jail if unpaid, and each day the sign remains posted counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a sign for my home-based business?
How big can a home business sign be in unincorporated Rock Island County?
Why can't my minor home occupation have any sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rock Island County
Compare Rock Island County to another location·View the Illinois home business overview
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