Snohomish County, WA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

050(1) sets eight general conditions every home occupation must satisfy to operate without a special land use permit, and the sign rule at (1)(f) is one of them: signs must be unlighted, capped at two square feet, and mounted flat against the building, not freestanding in the yard or projecting from a wall. The other conditions in the same subsection cap outside employment at one non-family worker, limit equipment to five horsepower with no three-phase motors and a 200-amp electrical service ceiling, restrict the business to one-fourth of the dwelling's square footage, bar external display of merchandise, and require the home to keep its residential appearance with no outside storage.

The sign cap is not limited to occupations run inside the house. 050(3)(a) carries the (1)(f) sign standard over to home occupations conducted in an accessory building or attached garage, and the winemaking home occupation allowed in the R 9,600 zone under (2)(f) is likewise bound to comply with (1)(f) even though most of subsection (1) is waived for that use. 120, and the operator must not exceed the other subsection (1) limits on employees, floor area, and equipment alongside the sign restriction. A home occupation that installs a lit sign, a sign over two square feet, or a post-mounted yard sign is out of compliance with the same subsection that authorizes the business to operate in a residential zone in the first place.