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

Imperial County's home-occupation standards are built around invisibility: Section 90404.00 defines a home occupation as one so conducted that the average neighbor would not be aware it exists. Consistent with that, Section 90404.03(K) of Title 9, Division 4, Chapter 4 provides flatly that 'There shall be no sign permitted on the site indicating the service provided.' This is a complete prohibition on home-business signage, not merely a size limit. The Planning Director may also impose advertising restrictions as a condition of a home-occupation permit under Section 90404.08(C). Separately, Division 4, Chapter 1 (Sections 90401.x) is the County's general sign ordinance governing commercial and other signage in the unincorporated area; it sets design and development standards for monument, pole, building-attached, off-site, real-estate, construction, agricultural and institutional signs, lists exempt signs (such as small no-trespassing signs and signs required by law), and lists prohibited signs. Those commercial-sign provisions, however, do not create an exception that would let a home occupation post a business sign — the Chapter 4 prohibition controls residential home occupations. A resident wanting any on-premise sign for a different, non-home-occupation use should consult Chapter 1 and the Planning & Development Services Department directly.