El Monte, CA Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Frequency cap
- 2 sales per rolling 12-month period
- Allowed weekends
- 1st weekend of Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec
- Sale hours
- Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Eligible goods
- Only personal property of occupant/family
- Vehicle sales
- 1 vehicle allowed on the driveway
- Exemptions
- Court-ordered and qualifying nonprofit sales
- License/permit fee
- None required for lawful sales
Summary
El Monte residents may hold no more than two garage sales in any rolling 12-month period, and even those are confined to one citywide weekend each quarter under Chapter 5.44 of the Municipal Code. The city designates only the first weekend of March, June, September and December as lawful sale dates, running Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
5.44.070 - Frequency. No person shall conduct more than two (2) garage sales during any consecutive twelve (12) month period. (Ord. 2465 § 2, 1997: prior code § 6399.51.5) 5.44.060 - Times for sales. Garage sales may be conducted only on the first weekend in the months of March, June, September and December of each year commencing from and after January 1, 1998. "Weekend" as used in this chapter means Saturdays and Sundays from eight a.m. to five p.m. inclusive. The City Administrator shall have the authority to select an alternate weekend if a designated weekend is not available for garage sales due to inclement weather or an emergency.
Full Breakdown
010 defines 'garage sale' broadly to include yard sales, patio sales, rummage sales and any similarly named sale of personal property on residential property, or on commercial property not tied to a licensed retail business. ; the City Administrator may designate an alternate weekend if the scheduled one is unavailable due to weather or an emergency. 070 then caps frequency directly: no person may conduct more than two garage sales in any consecutive 12-month period, regardless of how many of the quarterly weekends fall within that window.
050 allows one vehicle to be displayed for sale on a permanently constructed driveway despite the chapter's general display restrictions. 090 exempts sales made under court order and sales conducted by a nonprofit organization exempt from business license taxes.
Violations & Fines
Section 5.44.020 makes it unlawful to display, advertise or sell personal property on residential or non-qualifying commercial property outside a lawfully conducted garage sale, which reaches sales that exceed the two-per-year frequency cap in Section 5.44.070 or that fall outside the designated quarterly weekend in Section 5.44.060. Section 5.08.190 confirms no business license or permit fee applies to a lawful garage sale, but an unlawful one loses that exemption and remains subject to code enforcement under the general provisions of the Municipal Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many garage sales can I hold per year in El Monte?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Monte
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