Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup

Camarillo, CA Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Sales allowed
2 per business tax year
Governing section
Municipal Code Sec. 5.04.080(I)
Eligible seller
Natural person, own personal property only
Over the limit
Must get a business tax certificate
Enforcement
City business tax officer
Appeal deadline
90 days to Superior Court

Summary

Camarillo caps garage and yard sales at two per business tax year for any resident selling only their own personal property. Go over that limit and the city treats the activity as a business requiring a business tax certificate and payment of the business tax.

I. Garage Sales. The provisions of this chapter shall not require obtaining a business tax certificate or payment of a tax from any natural person engaged in conducting garage sales or yard sales for which all property to be sold is a person's own personal property and has not been acquired or consigned or crafted for the purpose of resale, or for the benefit of other than the occupants of the premises, provided that such garage sales or yard sales do not exceed two in number in any business tax year.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27 Update 1).

Full Breakdown

080(I) exempts garage sales and yard sales from the city's business tax certificate and tax requirements, but only under specific conditions. The seller must be a natural person, the property sold must be the seller's own personal property that was not acquired, consigned, or crafted for resale, and the sale must benefit only the occupants of the premises rather than any outside party. Critically, the exemption caps the activity at no more than two garage or yard sales in any business tax year. 170(A), so the two-sale cap resets on that recurring anniversary date rather than the calendar year.

04, the same framework that applies to any other business operating in the city. The chapter's other exemptions in the same section cover different situations entirely: minors, disabled veterans, and adults sixty-five or older with gross receipts under $2,500 a year (subsection H), and nonprofit or charitable fundraising activity (subsections D and E), none of which extend the garage-sale count. Enforcement of Title 5, including this section, falls to the city's business tax officer, a position created under the code specifically to enforce Title 5 and authorized to issue citations for infractions or misdemeanors arising under it.

Violations & Fines

Exceeding the two-sale-per-business-tax-year limit, or selling resale/consigned/crafted merchandise instead of personal property, forfeits the exemption and triggers the requirement to obtain a business tax certificate and pay the applicable business tax like any other business. The city's business tax officer, created to enforce Title 5, is authorized to issue citations for violations classified as infractions or misdemeanors. A person aggrieved by a director's decision on a business tax certificate can appeal to the city manager by filing a notice of appeal with the city clerk along with the council-set administrative fee, per Section 5.04.120, and may ultimately seek review in Ventura County Superior Court under Code of Civil Procedure Section 1094.5 within ninety days of the city manager's written decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many garage sales can I hold per year in Camarillo without a business license?
Two. Municipal Code Section 5.04.080(I) exempts garage and yard sales from the business tax certificate requirement only up to two sales in any business tax year, and only when you are selling your own personal property rather than resale or consigned goods.
What happens if I hold a third garage sale in the same year?
You lose the exemption and become subject to Chapter 5.04's general business tax rules, meaning you would need to obtain a business tax certificate and pay the applicable business tax just as any other business in the city must, per Section 5.04.080(I).
Does the two-sale limit reset on January 1st?
No. It resets on your business tax year, which Section 5.04.170(A) defines as running from the first day of a fixed anniversary month through the last day of the month before that anniversary month the following year, not the calendar year.
Can I sell items that aren't mine at my garage sale under this exemption?
No. Section 5.04.080(I) limits the exemption to personal property that a natural person owns and that was not acquired, consigned, or crafted for resale, and the sale must benefit only the occupants of the premises.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Camarillo

All Camarillo rules

California rules heatmap·Compare Camarillo to another location·View the California garage & yard sales overview

Get notified when Frequency, Duration & Permits in Camarillo, CA changes

We'll email you the moment we detect a change in the code. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We'll never sell or share your email. One-click unsubscribe in every email.

See something wrong?

Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.

Frequency, Duration & Permits in Nearby Cities

How other cities in Ventura County handle frequency, duration & permits.

Ventura, CA
Light Restrictions
Thousand Oaks, CA
Light Restrictions
Moorpark, CA
Some Restrictions
Simi Valley, CA
Some Restrictions
Oxnard, CA
Some Restrictions