Flint, MI Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency Limits (2026)

Flint's garage sale frequency control sits inside the Chapter 12 Article XXVIII licensing scheme. Section 12-264 sets a first-license fee of $12 and a second-license fee of $5 in the same license period, signaling that two sales is the routine cap a resident may obtain over the counter. Applications for a third or further sale in the same period are not described in the same fee provision and are reviewed by the Flint City Clerk on a case-by-case basis; in practice, repeated sales beyond the two-sale envelope are treated as the operation of a retail business in a residential district and are subject to Chapter 50 Zoning Code enforcement rather than continued licensing. The license period typically aligns with the calendar year, and the Clerk verifies the address against prior license issuances when accepting applications. Hours of sale and signage are not regulated within Article XXVIII itself but are governed by the City's noise (Chapter 31) and sign provisions in Chapter 50. Off-premises signage on utility poles, traffic signs, or public rights-of-way is prohibited and may be removed by the City Department of Public Works without notice. Multi-family block sales coordinated across several lots count as one sale per participating address, so each household uses its own license allotment. Charitable, church, and school sales conducted on non-residential premises typically fall under separate Chapter 12 provisions for nonprofit events rather than the residential garage sale framework.