Garage Sale Tips

Garage Sale Preventative Measures Checklist

Everyone understands how easily items no longer needed or wanted can accumulate. Once, twice, or maybe three times per year, household goods are displayed in driveways in hopes of selling unwanted items. The Code Compliance Department has provided these points for Garland residents to remember when holding garage sales:

  • Call Code Compliance at 972-485-6400 for a permit number. There is no fee required. Permit number, dates of sale and address must be on signs. Please call at least 24 hours prior to sale. (48 hours for Institutional Garage Sales.)
  • It is illegal to erect or affix a sign in the right-of-way (the area from the curb to the sidewalk), on the median (the area in the middle of any street), on public trees public fences and/or buildings, traffic signals and street lights, street signs, or utility/telephone poles.
  • Signs must be on private property. You may have no more than 4 signs, 1 in your yard and 3 others on private property only.
  • Remember to be courteous to neighbors and keep the neighborhood neat and clean; all signs must be removed by 9 p.m. on the last day of the sale.
  • A garage/yard sale is for selling used or unwanted household or personal items from the seller’s own premises.

Single Family Garage Sale

  • Single family garage sales are permitted for a sale period not to exceed more than 3 consecutive days, excluding holidays, and not more than 3 garage sales shall be permitted for the same location in any calendar year.
  • For safety purposes, if your home fronts a major thoroughfare or other busy roadway, please attempt to provide customer parking on your driveway or encourage customers to park on a side street.
  • Merchandise and activities cannot be displayed or conducted on any public property, including sidewalks, streets, alleys, and parkways.

Multifamily Garage Sale

  • The owner or manager of a multifamily residence must obtain the garage sale permit from the City.
  • A multifamily garage sale permit shall be valid for only 3 consecutive days, excluding holidays, and not more than 5 garage sales shall be permitted for the same location in any calendar year.
  • The location of the garage sale must be on the multifamily property and shall not be displayed within 50 feet of a public street.

Institutional Garage Sale

  • Institutional site garage sale shall mean a garage sale located at a church, school, adult or child-care center, hospital or other similar entity.

  • An institutional garage sale permit must be obtained a minimum of 48 hours prior to the garage sale.

  • When the permit is obtained the person in charge, the date(s) of the garage sale, the name of the institution and location of the institutional site, where the garage sale will occur, must be identified.

  • The site of the garage sale must have given permission and all proceeds shall be directed to the institution, nonprofit organization(s), or any combination thereof.The number of institutional garage sale permits shall not be limited.


    Please call 972-485-6400 to register a garage sale or to ask for more information.