LaPorte County, IN Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Sales allowed per year
- 3 per calendar year
- Max length per sale
- 5 consecutive days
- Allowed hours
- Sunrise to sunset
- Item threshold to qualify
- 6+ items of personal property
- Post-sale cleanup
- Same day merchandise/signs removed
Summary
LaPorte County caps garage and yard sales at three per year per property, with no single sale running more than five consecutive days, and sales must run only between sunrise and sunset.
(I) Garage or yard signs and sales. ... GARAGE OR YARD SALE. A public or private sale conducted by the owner or occupier of a premise, and conducted within a residence, garage, or other accessory buildings, or outside thereof, which sale is of six or more items of personal property owned or in the possession of the owner or occupier of the premises, which personal property was not acquired by the owner or occupier for the purpose of resale. (2)(a) A garage or yard sale may be conducted three times in any one calendar year on any premises, but no garage or yard sale shall be conducted for more than five consecutive days. (3) The garage or yard sale shall be conducted during the hours from sunrise to sunset.
Full Breakdown
075(I) defines a garage or yard sale as a public or private sale, held inside or outside a residence, garage or accessory building, involving six or more items of personal property the owner didn't acquire for resale. Under that definition, a property may host a garage or yard sale up to three times in any calendar year, and no single sale may run for more than five consecutive days. The code also fixes the hours of operation: a garage or yard sale must be conducted only from sunrise to sunset, closing the door on overnight or after-dark sales.
Once the sale ends, all personal property displayed outside a structure must be brought back inside immediately following the last day, and any accompanying signage must likewise come down. Because this rule lives in Chapter 157's Signs and Billboards article for the unincorporated county's Zoning Ordinance, it governs sales on unincorporated land only and does not extend into Michigan City, La Porte or the county's other incorporated towns, which regulate their own sales separately.
Violations & Fines
A garage sale that runs more than five consecutive days, exceeds three sales per calendar year, operates after sunset, or leaves merchandise or signage displayed past the sale's end is a zoning violation. The county, Zoning Administrator or Board of Zoning Appeals can enforce the limit through the general zoning penalty scheme, which authorizes fines up to the amount set by I.C. 36-1-3-8, appealable to the BZA, plus injunctive relief to compel compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many garage sales can I hold per year in LaPorte County?
What hours can a garage sale run?
Do I have to take everything back inside after the sale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in LaPorte County
Compare LaPorte County to another location·View the Indiana garage & yard sales overview
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