3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in District of Columbia, District of Columbia.
Verified from official government sources
DC does not require a permit or license for residential yard sales held on private property, making it one of the more permissive East Coast jurisdictions. However, sales cannot take place in public space without a DDOT Public Space permit, and signage on utility poles is prohibited under DCMR Title 24 section 108. Sellers should collect sales tax only if operating as a business.
DC does not impose a specific annual cap on residential yard sales, but ongoing or frequent sales may be reclassified as unlicensed retail activity under DC Code section 47-2851.03 (Basic Business License). In practice, 3-4 sales per year at a single address is the informal boundary. Exceeding that can trigger DLCP inquiry or zoning enforcement for operating a home-based business without a Home Occupation Permit.
DC does not impose specific garage sale hour restrictions, but sales are bounded by the general noise ordinance (60 dBA daytime cap) and DCMR Title 24 section 108 on public space activity. Most sellers operate 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Sales that extend past dusk or involve amplified music trigger noise citations.
1 cities in District of Columbia have their own garage & yard sales rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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