Auburn, WA Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual day limit
- 20 days per calendar year
- Goods allowed
- Household goods only
- Resale goods
- Not permitted
- Also covers
- Bake sales, boutiques, bazaars
- Exceeding the cap
- Falls under full ACC 18.60.020 rules
Summary
Auburn exempts garage and yard sales from home occupation permitting only if they run no more than 20 days total in a calendar year and involve only household goods that were not bought for resale, under ACC 18.60.030.
The following activities that may occur at the owner or renter of the primary residence or accessory structure shall be exempt from the requirements of this chapter. To qualify for the exemption, the sale, use, or event shall not operate for more than 20 days in any one calendar year or in violation of any other provision of this code. Garage and yard sales must involve only the sale of household goods, none of which were purchased for the purpose of resale.
A. Temporary sales including bake sales, garage sales, yard sales, estate sales;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 7023, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
030 carves out garage sales, yard sales, estate sales, bake sales, and similar temporary sales from the home occupation permitting chapter, but the exemption is conditional, not automatic. To qualify, the sale, use, or event cannot run for more than 20 days in any one calendar year, and it cannot otherwise violate any provision of the city code. The section specifically requires that garage and yard sales involve only the sale of household goods, and expressly excludes any goods that were purchased for the purpose of resale, meaning a household clearing out its own belongings is exempt but a resale or flea-market-style operation run from the same address is not.
The same 20-day annual cap and no-resale condition also govern temporary home boutiques or bazaars for handcrafted items and parties for the display and sale of domestic products, since all three categories are grouped under the same exemption clause. 020, including the business license, floor area, hours-of-operation, and vehicle-trip standards that ordinarily govern a home-based business.
Violations & Fines
A garage or yard sale exceeding 20 days total in a calendar year, or one that includes goods bought specifically for resale, loses the ACC 18.60.030 exemption and becomes subject to the full home occupation licensing and standards regime in ACC 18.60.020, including the business license requirement and applicable zoning enforcement for an unpermitted home occupation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days a year can I hold a garage sale in Auburn?
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Do I need a business license for a one-weekend garage sale in Auburn?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Auburn
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Frequency, Duration & Permits in Nearby Cities
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