Gaithersburg, MD Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Montgomery County Zoning Ordinance Chapter 59 contains an explicit prohibition on all exterior signage for home occupations, and this prohibition is one of the core requirements that distinguishes a home occupation from a commercial storefront. The prohibition covers all forms of visual commercial communication: painted or printed signs on the building facade or garage door; freestanding yard signs or sandwich boards in the front yard or near the driveway; decals, stickers, or magnets on the front door, mailbox, or fence; illuminated signs of any type; digital displays or electronic message boards; banners, flags, or pennants bearing a business name or logo; and directional signs placed in the public right-of-way or on neighboring properties. The rationale is that a home occupation, by definition, must be invisible from outside the dwelling. Any visible commercial indicator undermines the residential character of the neighborhood and could set a precedent that gradually transforms a residential street into a commercial corridor. This principle is enforced consistently across all three tiers. Even a Major Home Occupation approved through the Conditional Use process may not display exterior signage; the Hearing Examiner does not have authority to override this prohibition as part of a conditional approval. Interior signs present a gray area. A small nameplate inside a window identifying the business for clients who have an appointment is generally tolerated, but a large illuminated sign visible from the street that effectively functions as exterior advertising would be considered a violation. Code enforcement evaluates these situations on a case-by-case basis, looking at the size, placement, illumination, and visibility of the sign from the public right-of-way. Vehicle signage is handled separately from building signage. A Low-Impact or Major home occupation is permitted to park one commercial vehicle (under 10,000 pounds GVW) at the residence. That vehicle may bear the business name, logo, and contact information as part of its standard commercial vehicle graphics. However, the vehicle itself must comply with county sign regulations, and it cannot be parked in a manner that functions as a permanent advertising sign (for example, positioning it prominently at the front of the property specifically for advertising visibility). Additional commercial vehicles parked at the residence beyond the one permitted are considered a zoning violation. The Gaithersburg City Code Chapter 24 (Signs) governs signage for businesses in commercial and mixed-use zones and provides detailed regulations on sign types, sizes, illumination, and permits. These provisions do not extend any signage rights to home occupations in residential zones. Violations of the home occupation signage prohibition are typically triggered by neighbor complaints and investigated by county code enforcement officers or Gaithersburg zoning staff.