Grand Rapids, MI Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- None, within duration limits
- Governing section
- § 5.9.35.K
- Items allowed
- Personal property only, not resale goods
- Exceeding limit
- Reclassified as commercial use
Summary
Grand Rapids does not require a permit for a garage, yard, or basement sale that stays within the zoning code's duration limits. Section 5.9.35.K exempts it outright.
K. Garage Sales. 1. Garage sales are exempt from the permit requirements in this Section, provided that they meet the duration requirements of Table 5.9.35.A. 2. Garages/basement/yard sales operating beyond the duration requirements of Table 5.9.35.A. are considered commercial uses. 3. Items offered for sale shall be limited to personal property not acquired for resale by the residents of the lot where the sale occurs.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 70).
Full Breakdown
Section 5.9.35.K of Chapter 61, the Zoning Ordinance, exempts garage sales from the temporary-use permit that Section 5.9.35 otherwise requires for temporary structures and uses, as long as the sale meets the duration limits set in Table 5.9.35.A: three days, held no more than twice in a 12-month period. Items sold must be personal property belonging to residents of the lot, not merchandise acquired for resale. A sale that runs longer or more often than the table allows is treated as a commercial use, which does require permits and must meet commercial zoning standards.
Violations & Fines
Selling beyond three days per sale or holding more than two sales in 12 months converts the event into a commercial use, forfeiting the permit exemption and triggering standard permitting and zoning requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a City permit to hold a garage sale in Grand Rapids?
Can I sell items I bought specifically to resell at my garage sale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Rapids
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