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Macon-Bibb County, GA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Freestanding sign limit
12 sq ft, 6 ft tall, one per street frontage
Building sign limit
4 sq ft per establishment (2 sq ft historic)
Governing section
CLDR § 25.06[3](a)(3) and (b)(3)
Illumination
Remote-source only; no exposed bulbs or neon
Penalty
Misdemeanor; each day a separate offense
Enforcing agency
Macon-Bibb County zoning enforcement officer

Summary

A business in a Macon-Bibb residential district, including a home business, can install one freestanding sign per street frontage no larger than 12 square feet and 6 feet tall, plus one building-mounted sign up to 4 square feet per establishment, under the Comprehensive Land Development Resolution's residential sign standards.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Macon-Bibb County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(3)Businesses, one freestanding sign on each street frontage of a property up to twelve (12) square feet in size and up to six (6) feet in height, and one building sign per establishment up to four (4) square feet in size.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Comprehensive Land Development Resolution: Supplement 4 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20).

Full Breakdown

Chapter 25 of the Comprehensive Land Development Resolution, adopted January 22, 2018 (ZA17-005) and last amended December 9, 2024, sets the sign standards a business must follow when it operates in a Macon-Bibb residential zoning district, a category that includes a home business run out of a house or accessory structure. 06[3](a)(3) covers standard (non-historic) residential districts, including the residential portions of PDM planned developments: a business gets one freestanding sign per street frontage capped at 12 square feet in area and 6 feet in height, plus one building-mounted sign per establishment capped at 4 square feet.

Historic residential districts are tighter under subsection (b)(3): the same 12-square-foot, 6-foot freestanding allowance applies, but the building sign shrinks to 2 square feet. 5 feet tall be added without counting against the business sign total. 09[1], signs on single- or two-family residential property may use only remote-source illumination, with no exposed bulbs, neon tubing or luminous paint. A sign that exceeds these size, height or lighting limits is a violation of the Resolution and can trigger enforcement by the Macon-Bibb County zoning enforcement officer.

Violations & Fines

Operating a home-business sign larger than the 12-square-foot freestanding or 4-square-foot (2-square-foot in historic districts) building-sign cap is a Resolution violation. Section 33.01 makes any violation a misdemeanor, with each day the oversized or improperly lit sign remains up counted as a separate offense. Under Section 33.02, the zoning enforcement officer or Commission can seek injunctive relief in Macon-Bibb Municipal or State Court, or request that public utilities be withheld from a noncompliant premises until it is brought into compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a Macon-Bibb home business need a sign permit?
Home-business signs must fit the Comprehensive Land Development Resolution's size caps under Section 25.06[3], and Section 27.06[1] requires a zoning permit before any sign or structure is erected. A business gets one freestanding sign up to 12 square feet and 6 feet tall per street frontage, plus one building sign up to 4 square feet, before installing it.
How big can a home business sign be in a historic residential district?
In a historic residential district, Section 25.06[3](b)(3) still allows one freestanding sign up to 12 square feet and 6 feet tall on each street frontage, but the building-mounted sign shrinks to only 2 square feet per establishment, half the 4-square-foot allowance in standard residential districts.
Can a home business sign be illuminated?
Only with remote-source lighting. Section 25.09[1] bans exposed bulbs, neon tubing and luminous paint or plastic on any sign located on single- or two-family residential property, so a lit home-business sign must be lit from a separate, shielded fixture rather than internally illuminated.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Macon-Bibb County

All Macon-Bibb County rules

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