Prince William County, VA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Sec. 1 makes the general rule explicit before getting to signage: a home employment use can't change the character of the dwelling or show any exterior evidence of the business other than a sign "as provided for in this section," meaning the signage rule in subsection 9 is the only visible marker the code allows at all. That subsection gives the operator exactly two choices, not both: either one unlighted facade sign capped at one square foot in area, or one unlighted sign mounted on the mailbox, also capped at one square foot and no taller than three feet from ground level, and the mailbox option is only available when the dwelling sits back more than 35 feet from the front property line.

Once one of those two signs is up, "no other signs shall be permitted," so a business can't add a second yard sign, a banner, or any additional signage on top of its one allowed facade or mailbox sign. The size and lighting restrictions apply regardless of how many home employment uses operate from the same dwelling; the section doesn't scale the allowance per business. Illumination of any kind is barred outright, both options must be unlighted, which distinguishes home employment signage from the lit signage some commercial and institutional uses are permitted elsewhere in Chapter 32.