Rockdale County, GA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

The Rockdale County Unified Development Ordinance treats home occupations as a narrow, residential-only use, and Sec. 218-13(dd)(5) is explicit: no internal or external alterations inconsistent with the residential use of the building shall be permitted, no exterior evidence of the conduct of a home occupation shall be allowed, and no signage of any kind for the home occupation is allowed. That third sentence forecloses even a small nameplate or address placard advertising the business, a stricter rule than the general commercial sign standards in Chapter 230 of the Code, which regulate the size and placement of signs but do not zero them out entirely.

The signage ban pairs with subsection (2)'s requirement that the home occupation stay clearly incidental to the residential use and not change the residential character of the building, and with subsection (6)'s ban on any noise, glare, or disturbance perceptible beyond the property line, which would catch an illuminated sign as readily as a spotlight. Because Sec. 218-13(dd) governs every home occupation permitted under the table of permitted uses at Sec. 218-1, the no-signage rule applies uniformly across the A-R, R-1, R-2, and other residential districts where home occupations are allowed, with no district-by-district exception for a home business sign.