Des Moines, IA Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit needed
- None, if within limits
- Max duration
- 4 consecutive days
- Max frequency
- 2 sales per year
- Governing law
- City Code § 30-332
- Exceeds limit?
- Secondhand dealer license required
Summary
Des Moines does not require a permit for a garage, tag or estate sale, as long as it runs no more than four consecutive days and happens no more than twice a year.
Casual and occasional sales of used household goods by the owner thereof to the public, on a nonreceiving basis, if the seller, at the time of sale, is not engaged for profit in the business of selling goods of that or a similar nature; this category includes those sales commonly referred to as "garage sales", "tag sales" or "estate sales" so long as such sales are not conducted in excess of four consecutive days and no more than two times annually.(4)Articles received by a charitable organization which is exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.(5)Any person conducting a consignment business where a fee is collected for the sale of another's personal property, estate auctions, multi-booth flea markets or antique malls.(6)Any person conducting a business having more than 50 percent of gross receipts from the sale of used clothing. (C62, § 47B-2; O.8840; C75, C85, § 9-117.02; O.11,602; C91, § 9-117.02; O.13,478, 15,935)
Sec. 30-332A. - Proof required of gross receipts from sale of used clothing.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code exempts casual, nonprofit household-goods sales from the secondhand-goods-dealer license entirely, and Sec. 30-332 names "garage sales," "tag sales" and "estate sales" specifically as covered by that exemption. The only conditions are duration and frequency: no more than four consecutive days per sale, and no more than two sales in a calendar year. Stay inside those limits and you never touch the city clerk's licensing process. Run sales more often, or hold yourself out as regularly selling used goods for profit, and the city treats you as an unlicensed secondhand goods dealer instead.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding four consecutive days or holding more than two sales a year forfeits the exemption; operating as an unlicensed secondhand goods dealer is enforced by the city clerk and police under Article VIII, with license denial or revocation proceedings under Sec. 30-342.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a garage sale in Des Moines?
What happens if I hold garage sales more than twice a year?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Des Moines
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