Queen Anne's County, MD Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

The sign standard for home occupations sits in § 18:1-56C(12) of the Queen Anne's County Code. It is one of thirteen use and development standards that every home occupation in unincorporated Queen Anne's County must meet. The text limits signage to one nonilluminated nameplate, not exceeding two square feet in area. The nameplate has to be affixed against the exterior surface of the residence, at a position not more than two feet from the main entrance to the residence. Each element is a separate requirement: one sign, no illumination, a two square foot ceiling, mounting on the house itself, and placement beside the front door.

The standard describes a wall-mounted nameplate and nothing else, so a yard post, a banner, a lit sign or a vehicle-mounted advertisement is outside what the County Commissioners wrote into this section. The civil penalty list in § 18:1-212C(2)(i) separately covers an act for which a zoning certificate is required, including for signs and banners, that is done without applying for the certificate or that exceeds the authority the certificate gives.

The sign standard travels with the permit. No home occupation can be established until a home occupation zoning certificate is issued under § 18:1-138, and the certificate lapses automatically if the dwelling is sold or rented, if the property is used for nonresidential purposes, if the operator dies, or if the business is discontinued for 180 days or more and is not renewed within 30 days of written notice from the Planning Director. A new owner who wants the same business starts over with a new certificate and the same two square foot nameplate limit. The Department of Planning and Zoning handles the certificate, and the Planning Director has enforcement authority under § 18:1-208.