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

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

Key Facts

Home occupation signs
None allowed on the property
Advertising address
PO box required, not home address
Cottage industry exception
2 sq ft nameplate, admin-approved only
Applies to
Unincorporated Madera County residences
Enforcement
Permit revocation or Title 18 misdemeanor

Summary

A home occupation in unincorporated Madera County can't post any sign advertising the business, and other advertising can't list the home address. Madera County Code Section 18.89.030(I) and (J) require a post office box instead, while a permitted cottage industry gets one narrow exception: a two-square-foot nameplate approved by the zoning administrator.

City-specific rules exist: Madera has its own signage rules rules that differ from Madera County's county-level regulations. If you live in Madera, check the city-specific page instead.

I.Business advertising shall utilize a post office box and not the residential address.J.Signs advertising the home occupation are not permitted on the property. Other advertising shall not include the address of the premises. ... C.There shall be no advertising for the cottage industry on the property, except for such advertising as may be incorporated within the two square foot nameplate allowed for the residence. The location and design of such nameplate shall be subject to the approval of the zoning administrator.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).

Full Breakdown

89 splits home-based work into two tiers, and the signage rule tightens as the business grows. 030. Subsection (I) requires that "business advertising shall utilize a post office box and not the residential address," and subsection (J) is categorical: "Signs advertising the home occupation are not permitted on the property. " Those rules sit alongside the chapter's other limits on a home occupation: it must be run by a resident, cannot use an accessory structure for storage, cannot alter the dwelling's exterior, cannot employ or serve nonresidents on-site, and is capped at twenty-five percent of one floor's gross area.

040(C) allows advertising "incorporated within the two square foot nameplate allowed for the residence," but only after the zoning administrator approves the nameplate's location and design. Both tiers apply the same way anywhere in unincorporated Madera County where a single-family dwelling is an allowed use; the rule does not reach a home business inside the City of Madera or Chowchilla, which license home occupations under their own municipal codes.

Violations & Fines

An unauthorized sign on a cottage industry property can cost the operator the permit itself: Section 18.89.070 lets the zoning administrator revoke or modify a cottage industry permit for noncompliance, with the decision appealable back to the zoning administrator. A bare home occupation that posts a sign anyway is enforced as a general Title 18 violation under Chapter 18.112, a misdemeanor with each day treated as a separate offense, in addition to any nuisance abatement action.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put a small sign in my yard for my home business?
No. Section 18.89.030(J) states that "signs advertising the home occupation are not permitted on the property," and any advertising you do use, like a business card, cannot list your residential address; subsection (I) requires a post office box instead.
I have a licensed cottage industry permit. Can I have any sign?
Only a two-square-foot nameplate, and only after the zoning administrator approves its exact location and design under Section 18.89.040(C); a bigger sign, or any other advertising posted on the property, goes beyond what the cottage industry permit allows.
What's the difference between a home occupation and a cottage industry?
A home occupation is a low-impact use, like clerical work, governed by Section 18.89.030's minimum standards without its own permit application, while a cottage industry is one of the specific business types listed in Section 18.89.040, such as a hairdresser or locksmith, and requires a separate planning department permit.
What happens if I post a sign anyway?
For a cottage industry, an unapproved sign can trigger revocation or modification of the permit under Section 18.89.070. For any home occupation, it's enforced as a Title 18 violation under Chapter 18.112, a misdemeanor with each day of noncompliance counted as a separate offense.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Madera County

Zoning & Home Occupation PermitsSome RestrictionsCustomer Traffic RestrictionsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Vehicle NoiseSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Curb Color RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSome Restrictions

All Madera County rules

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Madera, CA