Yakima, WA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Sign regulation in Yakima sits in YMC Chapter 15.08 (Signs) under YUAZO Title 15. The home-occupation tie-in is YMC 15.04.120(C)(5) and (9), which prohibit any alteration of the residential character via signs and limit home occupations to a single identification sign authorized under Ch. 15.08. YMC 15.08.060 contains three sign tables: Table 8-1 (residential zones), Table 8-2 (commercial zones), and Table 8-3 (industrial zones). In the SR, R-1, R-2, and R-3 residential districts, only nameplate or identification signs are permitted for residential uses including home occupations — maximum two square feet, flush-mounted to the building (no freestanding pole or monument), no internal or external illumination, no electronic or animated components. Off-premises signs, billboards, banners, A-frames, sandwich boards, inflatables, and yard signs advertising the business are prohibited in residential districts. Window signs are limited under YMC 15.08.110. Vehicle signage on a passenger vehicle used incidentally by the residing operator is permitted, but no commercial vehicle (over one-ton, dump truck, fuel oil truck, delivery truck, wrecker) may be stored on the residential lot under YMC 15.04.120(C)(7) (storage limits). Sign permits are issued by the Yakima Code Administration Division per YMC 15.08.080 — most small residential nameplates are exempt from permit but must still meet size and illumination limits. YMC 11.08 separately governs sign construction permits where structural anchorage is required. State law (RCW 47.42 — Scenic Vistas) further restricts off-premises signage along state highways including SR 12, US 97, and I-82 corridors through Yakima. Washington has no statewide preemption of municipal home-occupation sign rules.