Royal Oak Township, MI Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Section 32-622(j) of the Royal Oak Charter Township Code opens with a flat prohibition: signs advertising products or services are prohibited at a home occupation. The single exception is one nonilluminated nameplate, not more than one square foot in area. The code fixes how that nameplate is mounted and what it says. It must be attached flat to the building wall, and it can display only the name and occupation of the resident on the premises. A freestanding sign or an illuminated sign falls outside that description, and so does a nameplate that lists products, prices or services.

Two neighboring subsections reinforce the limit. Subsection (f) provides that the appearance of the principal structure shall not be altered, and that the home occupation shall not be conducted in a manner that would cause the premises to differ from their residential character through colors, materials, construction, lighting, signs, or the emission of sounds, noises, or vibrations. Subsection (e) strictly prohibits the outdoor display or outdoor storage of materials, goods, supplies, or equipment used in the home occupation, so merchandise left outside cannot do the work of a sign.

The sign rule is one condition among several. Under subsection (c), a permit is required from the building official prior to establishing any home occupation, and subsection (d) requires the use to be clearly incidental to the use of the dwelling as a residence. For a home occupation to be considered an allowable use, it must comply with all requirements of the section. A business on the subsection (a) list of uses strictly prohibited as home occupations, such as antique shops, barbershops and beauty parlors, or restaurants, is barred unless otherwise permitted subject to special approval, whatever its nameplate looks like.