Gary, IN Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max duration
- Four days or less per sale
- Max frequency
- No more than twice per calendar year
- Location
- Principal residence of a participant
- Goods sold
- Own property not acquired for resale
- Exceeding limits
- Requires peddler/transient merchant license (§ 10-298)
Summary
In the City of Gary, a garage, basement or yard sale of a resident's own property, held at the principal residence of one of the participants, is exempt from the city's peddler and transient-merchant licensing scheme only if each sale lasts four days or less and happens no more than twice in a calendar year.
(2)A person who sells his own property, which was not acquired for resale, or who in conjunction with other persons selling their own property which was not required for resale, from the real estate owned or leased as the principal residence of one of the participants; which sale lasts four days or less and occurs no more than twice during any calendar year. (Commonly known as garage, basement, or yard sales.)
Full Breakdown
Gary Municipal Code § 10-263(b)(2) carves the traditional garage sale out of Article VII's peddler and transient-merchant licensing requirements, but only within specific limits: the seller must be disposing of their own property that was not acquired for resale (or several residents may jointly sell their own property), the sale must be held from real estate owned or leased as the principal residence of one of the participants, it must last four days or less, and it cannot occur more than twice during any calendar year.
Because this is an exemption from Article VII rather than a stand-alone permit, no application or fee attaches to a qualifying sale. Once a resident exceeds either limit, either by running a sale longer than four days or by holding a third sale in the same calendar year, the activity falls back under the general definitions of "peddler" or "transient merchant" in § 10-263(a), triggering the full permit-and-license requirement in § 10-298, including a sworn application, fingerprints, and photographs under § 10-299, and license fees set in chapter 20.
Section 10-264 directs the police department and code enforcement personnel to report Article VII violations to the city controller, who keeps the violation record tied to each license.
Violations & Fines
A resident who exceeds the four-day, twice-a-year limit loses the exemption and is operating as an unlicensed peddler or transient merchant, unlawful under § 10-298 without a permit and license from the city controller. Because Article VII sets no separate fine, the Code's general penalty in § 1-7 applies: up to $2,500.00 for a first offense and up to $7,500.00 for a second or subsequent offense, with each day of a continuing violation counted separately. Police and code enforcement officers report such violations directly to the controller under § 10-264.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many garage sales can I hold per year in Gary?
How many days can a Gary garage sale run?
Where does the sale have to be held?
What if I hold a third sale in the same year?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gary
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