Dubuque, IA Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)

Section 16-5-2-3 lists garage sales among the accessory uses permitted alongside a detached garage, fence, home based business and similar activities in the R-1 single-family district, provided that not more than three such sales are allowed per premises per calendar year and not more than three consecutive days per sale. Because accessory uses are governed under the framework in section 16-3-7, the same wording repeats verbatim in the accessory use lists for R-2, R-2A, R-3 and R-4, so the three-per-year, three-day cap is not unique to single-family lots but applies the same way across Dubuque's residential zoning districts. The rule sits in the zoning code rather than a separate business licensing chapter, so it is a land use limit tied to the property, not a permit issued per sale; there is no indication in this title of any fee or advance registration requirement for holding a qualifying sale.