Hanover County, VA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Section 26-279 sets ten standards a home occupation must meet, and item six governs signage directly: only one sign is allowed, it must be nonilluminated, and it cannot exceed two square feet in area. This sits alongside item three's separate ban on any other exterior indication that the dwelling is used for anything but residential purposes, meaning the two-square-foot sign is the sole exception the county carves out for a home business to identify itself outwardly. There is no allowance in the section for internally or externally lit signage, changeable copy, or a second sign even if the property fronts more than one street.

Any additional signage, whether a banner, an illuminated placard, or a second freestanding sign, falls outside what Section 26-279(6) permits and requires either removal or a variance process through the Board of Zoning Appeals. The standard applies equally whether the home occupation is an office, personal service, retail sales, home craft, or instructional use permitted under the broader home occupation framework, and it was carried forward through the most recent amendment, Ord. No. 25-02, Section 8, adopted May 28, 2025. The Zoning Administrator in the Planning Department is the enforcing official for sign compliance tied to home occupations, distinct from the county's general commercial sign regulations in Division 7 of Article 5, which do not apply to a home occupation's identification sign.