Noblesville, IN Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Noblesville's Unified Development Ordinance treats signage as one of the sharpest limits on how visible a home-based business can be. Section 159.122(B)(10) opens by barring any display of goods or external evidence of the home occupation, then carves out a single, narrowly defined exception: one non-animated, non-illuminated, non-flashing announcement plate, indicating not more than the name of the occupation and name and address of resident. The plate shall be attached flat against the wall of the residence and shall not exceed one square foot in total surface area, so freestanding yard signs, window signs, and any lighted or moving sign are all excluded regardless of size.

Because the rule caps content as well as size, the plate can identify only the business name and the resident's name and address; it cannot advertise prices, hours, product lines, or a phone number. This sign standard applies on top of the home occupation's other appearance limits in § 159.122(B)(4), which bars structural or nonstructural changes that would tend to lend a commercial appearance to the site, and the display restriction in (B)(11)-(12) limiting on-site retail sales and stock in trade. The Department of Planning and Development reviews signage compliance as part of the home occupation permit application and the required annual field check under § 159.122(D)(8).