Milwaukee, WI Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)

Milwaukee's zoning code treats a rummage sale as an accessory use to a residential property. Chapter 295-503-3-d of the Building and Zoning Code limits a residential premises to not more than 2 rummage sales in one calendar year, and caps each sale at no more than 3 days in length. Items offered must be household goods from a single dwelling unit: you can't run a resale business out of your yard under this exemption. There's no permit application described in this section; the limits are self-enforcing standards tied to the residential use, and compliance is checked the same way as any other accessory-use standard in the residential zoning districts (RS, RT, RM, RO). Selling secondhand goods outside a rummage sale generally requires a secondhand dealer's license under Chapter 92, though occasional garage/yard sales are specifically exempted from that separate licensing requirement.