Doña Ana County, NM Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Sales per year
- 3 per street or unit address
- Duration per sale
- 3 consecutive days maximum
- Counted by
- Street/unit address, including unit letter
- Coverage
- Unincorporated county only
- Penalty
- Up to $300 fine, 90 days jail
Summary
Doña Ana County caps garage and yard sales at three per year for each street or unit address, and every sale is limited to three consecutive days. The address-based count means every unit or lettered address on a shared street qualifies separately.
Sales on residential lots. Garage, yard sales or similar uses are limited to three sales in one year per street or unit address, and each sale shall be limited to three consecutive days. For the purpose of this regulation, the address includes unit number or letter.
Full Breakdown
Under Unified Development Code § 350-502B(7), garage, yard sales and similar uses on residential lots are capped at three sales per calendar year per street or unit address, with each individual sale limited to three consecutive days. The code specifies that the address for counting purposes includes any unit number or letter, so a duplex or a property with a secondary address is tracked separately from its neighbor rather than sharing one countywide allotment. The rule sits inside the general-to-all-zones article of the Unified Development Code, meaning it applies uniformly across every residential zoning district in the unincorporated county rather than varying block by block.
Because it is a use regulation rather than a licensing requirement, the code does not describe a permit or fee for holding a qualifying sale; exceeding either the three-sale annual cap or the three-day duration limit converts the activity into an unpermitted use of residential land. Enforcement runs through the same Zoning Administrator and Code Enforcement structure that handles the rest of Article V, and residents in Las Cruces, Sunland Park, Mesilla or Hatch are not covered by this county provision since each of those municipalities enforces its own separate code within its incorporated limits.
Violations & Fines
A garage sale that runs longer than three consecutive days, or a fourth sale at the same street or unit address within one calendar year, is a petty misdemeanor under UDC § 350-108J, enforced under Doña Ana County Code § 1-20 with a fine of up to $300, up to 90 days in jail, or both, and each additional day of an over-length sale counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many garage sales can I hold per year in Doña Ana County?
How long can each sale last?
Does a duplex get separate sale limits for each unit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Doña Ana County
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