Jefferson County, WI Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Sec. 22-707, part of Chapter 22's sign article, sets a narrow rule just for signs advertising a home occupation. The sign cannot exceed six square feet in area, well below the 150-square-foot allowance for a regular on-premises business sign under Sec. 22-706. It must be attached to the residential building in which the home occupation is permitted, so a freestanding yard sign for a home business is not allowed the way it is for other on-premises signs. The section also bars lighting the sign at night, a stricter rule than the general sign code, which elsewhere only bans flashing or rotating lights.

Home occupation signs are limited to the districts where home occupations themselves are zoned: R-1 and R-2 residential, A agricultural, C community, W waterfront, and F floodplain. A sign permit is still required under Sec. 22-703(c) unless the sign falls into one of that section's exempt categories, none of which cover home occupation signs, so a homeowner needs a permit from the zoning administrator before installing one, with the fee set by the county fee schedule.