Clayton County, GA Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)

The Garage and Yard Sale Ordinance covers any sale of new, used or secondhand personal property from a residential premises, however it is advertised, whether as a garage sale, yard sale, tag sale, porch sale, attic sale, rummage sale or flea market sale. Before holding one, the host must secure a permit from the Community Development Department at least 24 hours in advance; the department provides a copy of the ordinance with the permit, and fees are set by the county's schedule of fees and charges.

Once the sale is underway, the person running it and the property's owner, tenant or occupant are jointly responsible for keeping order: no loud or boisterous conduct, no vehicles blocking traffic on nearby roads, and anyone present must obey police or fire department orders during an emergency. , only one four-square-foot sign is allowed, and it must sit on the sale premises and come down as soon as the sale ends; no signs may go on utility poles or traffic signs. Items sold must belong to the household hosting the sale: bringing in goods that belong to someone else, or buying items specifically to resell at the sale, is prohibited, except for sales run on behalf of a charitable or service organization.

The three-sales-per-year, three-day-per-sale cap applies per residential lot, and the ordinance exempts court-ordered sales, sales by public officials acting officially, classified-ad sales of specifically named items, and sales run by bona fide charitable, educational, religious or other tax-exempt organizations, which carry the burden of proving the exemption.