Gaithersburg, MD Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Signs allowed
- One non-illuminated permanent building sign
- Maximum size
- 9 in. by 12 in., 0.75 sq ft
- Maximum protrusion
- 2 inches from the building
- Placement
- Facade facing a public street or entrance
- Permit required
- Sign permit under § 24-8.6
Summary
A Gaithersburg home-based business may display exactly one non-illuminated, permanent building sign, capped at 9 inches by 12 inches and 0.75 square feet, and it cannot protrude more than 2 inches from the wall. Section 24-5.5(E) requires the sign to face a public street or entrance and be installed under the city's sign permit process.
(E)Signage standards. To preserve the residential character of a home-based business, the following regulations apply to a sign installed on a property with a home-based business use, and modify the provisions of article 8, Signage Standards:(1)A home-based business use may display only one non-illuminated permanent building sign at the premises.(2)Such a sign must not exceed nine (9) inches by twelve (12) inches in dimensions, nor exceed a total area of seventy-face hundredths (0.75) square feet in size.(3)Such a sign must not protrude more than two (2) inches from the building.(4)Such a sign must only be placed on a façade that faces a public street or has a public entrance.(5)Notwithstanding other provisions of this article, such a sign may only be installed if permitted and in conformance with a permit, pursuant to section 24-8.6, Sign permits.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
5(E) modifies the general commercial and residential provisions of article 8, Signage Standards, specifically to preserve the residential character of a property hosting a home-based business. Unlike the freestanding and larger wall signs allowed for standalone commercial uses, a home business is restricted to a single non-illuminated permanent building sign: no freestanding yard signs, no window signs, and no additional signs advertising the business elsewhere on the lot. 75 square feet, roughly the size of a standard mailbox door. It must also sit flush against the structure, projecting no more than two inches from the building face, and it can only be mounted on a façade that either faces a public street or contains the building's public entrance, so a sign on a side or rear wall with no street frontage or entrance does not qualify.
6, the same permitting section that governs commercial and institutional signage citywide. 3(B), both of which borrow the home-based business sign standard rather than restate their own.
Violations & Fines
Installing a sign larger than 0.75 square feet, an illuminated sign, a freestanding sign, or any sign without a permit under section 24-8.6 for a home-based business violates section 24-5.5(E) and is enforced as a municipal infraction under section 24-15.1(C) and chapter 1, section 1-9. The city manager or designee can order a noncompliant sign removed, and if the owner does not comply, the city may remove it and bill the owner for removal costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big can my home business sign be in Gaithersburg?
Can I put an illuminated sign on my home business?
Do I need a permit for a small home business sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gaithersburg
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