Florence County, SC Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Sales allowed without a permit
- Up to 2 consecutive days per 30-day period
- Review body once exceeded
- Board of Zoning Appeals (certificate of zoning compliance)
- Overnight storage
- Goods barred outside the primary/secondary structure overnight
- Applies to
- Residential (Table I) and business/rural districts (Table II)
- General penalty for violation
- Up to $200 fine or 30 days jail (Sec. 1-13)
Summary
In unincorporated Florence County, a yard sale or flea-market-style outdoor sale of new or used household goods is allowed without a permit for up to two consecutive days in any 30-day period. Sec. 30-28, Note (2) requires anyone exceeding that to get a certificate of zoning compliance from the Board of Zoning Appeals.
(2) Any new use which includes outside sales of new or used household goods and other material goods and products which are akin to yard sales and flea markets for more than any two consecutive days within a 30-day period must obtain a certificate of zoning compliance. The board of zoning appeals shall hear and deliberate such requests. The goods and products of such uses, whether permitted or allowed, must not be stored outside of the site's primary or secondary structure during non-business hours.
Full Breakdown
Florence County's residential-district use table, Sec. 30-28 (Table I), governs by-right home-based activity, and its Note (2) specifically addresses outdoor sales that resemble yard sales or flea markets. Any new use involving outside sales of new or used household goods and other material goods and products 'akin to yard sales and flea markets' is unregulated for up to two consecutive days within a rolling 30-day period. Once a resident holds such sales, or a single sale, longer than two consecutive days within any 30-day window, the activity crosses from an incidental household activity into a use requiring a certificate of zoning compliance.
Note (2) sends that request to the Board of Zoning Appeals, which 'shall hear and deliberate such requests' rather than Planning and Building Inspection staff issuing it administratively, so a homeowner running frequent or extended sales must go before the board. The same note applies a storage condition regardless of whether the certificate is required: goods and products from these sales 'must not be stored outside of the site's primary or secondary structure during non-business hours,' meaning merchandise cannot be left out on tables, in the yard, or under tarps overnight.
An identical Note (2) appears on Sec. 30-29 (Table II), so the two-day/30-day threshold and BZA review requirement apply the same way in the county's business and rural zoning districts, not just its residential ones.
Violations & Fines
Table I does not set its own fine for exceeding the two-day/30-day threshold without a certificate of zoning compliance; enforcement falls to Florence County's general Code penalty, Sec. 1-13, which punishes an unlisted zoning violation with a fine of up to $200.00, up to 30 days' imprisonment, or both, with each day the unauthorized outdoor sale continues counted as a separate offense. Overnight outdoor storage of sale merchandise is a separate Note (2) violation regardless of sale length.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days can I hold a yard sale in unincorporated Florence County without a permit?
What happens if my yard sale runs longer than two days?
Can I leave unsold items outside overnight after a yard sale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Florence County
Compare Florence County to another location·View the South Carolina garage & yard sales overview
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