Tallahassee, FL Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Home occupations are a permitted accessory use in every zoning district under Land Development Code § 10-412(2), covering everything from tutoring to craft sales run out of a residence. The sign restriction sits inside the same standards list that caps the business's footprint and traffic: the operation must stay incidental to residential use, limited to one-third of the dwelling's enclosed living area (garage space excluded), and conducted entirely inside the principal building. ' That means a homeowner cannot post an A-frame sign at the curb, hang a shingle by the door, or park a vehicle wrapped with the business's logo where it reads from the street; the code separately caps commercial-vehicle storage at one vehicle used in the occupation at any time (§ 10-412(2)j).

Client and delivery traffic is limited to two round trips per hour and ten per day, with a narrower seven-trip-per-hour allowance carved out for piano, dance and instrument teaching. Only people who live at the residence may work in the business, and all vehicles must park off-street on a paved driveway. The one carve-out from the signage and traffic limits covers owner-occupants over 70 selling fruit and vegetables who have run the stand continuously since at least October 1, 1992. A home occupation license from the city is required to operate at all, and that license cannot be used to override a private deed restriction that already bars the use.