Salt Lake County, UT Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Maximum duration per sale
- 3 consecutive days
- Maximum frequency
- 2 sales per year, same location
- Consignment goods
- not allowed under the exemption
- Separate allowance
- 4 one-day social-gathering sales per year
- Governing section
- Salt Lake County Code §19.85.010.D.1
Summary
A garage or yard sale in unincorporated Salt Lake County needs no home-business permit as long as it stays within County Code §19.85.010.D.1's limits: no more than three consecutive days per sale, no more than twice a year at the same address, and no consignment goods for sale.
The following activities are exempted from regulation under this chapter: 1. Garage or yard sales; provided the sale is held for not more than three consecutive days, and no more than two times per year at the same location, and no consignment goods are offered for sale;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 49).
Full Breakdown
020. " All three conditions must hold for the exemption to apply. Go over three consecutive days, run a third sale at the same address within the same year, or sell goods taken on consignment from someone else, and the sale falls outside the exemption and would need to be evaluated under the ordinary home-business rules instead, including the appointment-only customer standard and floor-area cap. ," capped at four occurrences per year, a separate and more generous allowance for one-day, party-style sales that doesn't count against a household's two-garage-sale annual limit.
Both exemptions apply only in the unincorporated county and its townships; individual cities in the valley set their own garage-sale rules under their own municipal codes.
Violations & Fines
A garage sale that runs longer than three consecutive days, exceeds two occurrences a year at the same address, or includes consignment goods loses the exemption and is treated as an unpermitted home business under Chapter 19.85, subject to Title 19's notice-and-civil-penalty process and Class C misdemeanor exposure under §19.94.040(A) for continued unpermitted operation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many garage sales can I hold per year in Salt Lake County?
Do I need a permit for a weekend garage sale?
Can I hold a candle party or book party at my house without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake County
Compare Salt Lake County to another location·View the Utah garage & yard sales overview
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