Riverside County, CA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Ordinance 348 keeps home-based businesses visually indistinguishable from ordinary residences. For home occupations, Section 21.36(F) provides that 'no signs other than one unlighted identification sign, not more than two square feet in area, shall be erected on the premises.' This single small, unlit sign is the entire allowance - illuminated signs, multiple signs, or larger signs are not permitted for a home occupation. Cottage food operations carry an essentially identical rule: Section 18.53(C)(10) allows no signs other than one unlighted identification sign of not more than two square feet, and further restricts that the sign be attached to the dwelling unit or placed in a window of the dwelling unit. Family day care homes are treated more permissively on this point: Section 18.29a(E)(7) provides that an on-site identification sign may be installed in accordance with the ordinance. Across all of these home-based uses, the overarching intent is that the residential character of the exterior of the dwelling not be changed, so signage must remain modest and non-commercial in appearance. Sign rules in commercial and industrial zones do not apply to these residential home-business uses.