Lakewood, CA Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Sales per year
- 2 residential sales events
- Max length
- 2 days per event
- New merchandise
- Not permitted for resale
- Right-of-way
- Sale cannot encroach into it
- Governing code
- Lakewood Municipal Code § 9320(H)
Summary
Lakewood caps residential garage and yard sales at two events per calendar year, each running no more than two days, and bars bringing in new merchandise to resell at the sale.
Residential sales events as defined in Section 9302.36.c, not exceeding two (2) per calendar year. Each event shall be allowed to operate a maximum of two (2) days. If the sales event terminates prior to the two (2) day period allowed, it will be considered one of the two (2) events allowed per year. No new items shall be permitted for resale. The sale shall not encroach into any public right-of-way.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4901715; v5 updated 2026-04-28; through 04-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
36(c), as an accessory use in the R-1 zone, but restricts them to not exceeding two per calendar year, with each event allowed to run a maximum of two days. If a sale wraps up early, before the full two-day window, the code still counts it as one of the two annual events, so a homeowner cannot stretch a short sale into extra future dates. The section explicitly bars bringing in new items purchased or acquired specifically for resale at the event, meaning it is meant for residents clearing out their own household goods rather than running an informal retail operation.
Sales also cannot encroach into any public right-of-way, so tables, racks or signage cannot spill onto the sidewalk or street. This provision was added by Ordinance 86-7 and sits inside the same R-1 use list as the City's home business occupation rules, reflecting the same broader theme in Lakewood's code of protecting the residential character of its single-family neighborhoods, largely built out as a uniform post-war planned suburb.
Violations & Fines
Holding a garage sale beyond the two-per-year or two-day-per-event caps, restocking a sale with new resale merchandise, or letting a sale encroach into the public right-of-way is a Municipal Code violation enforceable under § 1200 as a misdemeanor (up to six months in county jail plus the state maximum misdemeanor fine) or as an infraction under § 1205 at the City's election, with fines that escalate for repeat violations within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many garage sales can I have per year in Lakewood?
Can I sell new items at my Lakewood garage sale?
Can I put my garage sale signs on the sidewalk in Lakewood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
California rules heatmap·Compare Lakewood to another location·View the California garage & yard sales overview
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