Santa Barbara County, CA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Under Section 35.42.190 of the Santa Barbara County Land Use & Development Code, signage for home occupations in unincorporated areas is sharply restricted. The standards state that no displays or signs naming or advertising the home occupation shall be permitted on or off the lot that contains the home occupation. All advertising for the home occupation, whether in telephone directories, newspapers, other printed material, or on equipment or vehicles associated with the business, must not divulge the location of the home occupation. The only express exception is that business cards and letterhead may list the address of the home occupation. This no-sign rule reinforces the broader requirement that the existence of the home occupation not be discernible from the exterior of the dwelling and that the residential character of the property be preserved. Because no on-site or off-site advertising sign is allowed at all, there is no permitted sign size, height, or illumination for a home business; any visible commercial signage would convert the use beyond what the home occupation standards permit and require different zoning entitlements.