Monterey, CA Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual sale limit
- 4 sales per 12 months
- Duration limit
- 2 consecutive days
- Hours allowed
- 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Estate sale exemption
- Within 24 months of death
Summary
Monterey lets residents hold up to four garage sales a year of no more than two consecutive days each, running only 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; go past any of those limits and it becomes a "commercial garage sale," which is flatly banned in every residential zone.
1.“Commercial garage sale”: A.Occurs more than four times in 12 consecutive months at the same residential property and conducted by the same occupants; or B.Operates for more than two consecutive days; or C.Operates earlier than 7:00 a.m. or later than 7:00 p.m. ... 2.No commercial garage sale is permitted in any residential zone. ... d. Penalties.Every person who violates any provisions of this section shall be subject to administrative citations under Sections 1-2.00 through 1-2.13, which is in addition to all other civil remedies that may be pursued by the City to address any violations of this code.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3721, passed July 7, 2026).
Full Breakdown
m. Cross any one of those lines and the sale is reclassified as commercial, which § 22-10(b)(2) prohibits outright in any residential zone, regardless of how the seller labels it. A regular "garage sale" is defined broadly to cover yard sales, lawn sales, moving sales, patio sales, trunk sales, closet sales, rummage sales and similarly named events selling personal property or goods to the public, not limited to household items. Estate sales get a separate carve-out: a sale of a deceased person's personal property held within 24 months of death, or within six months of the estate's probate closing, whichever comes first, is exempt from § 22-10 entirely and is not counted against the four-sale annual limit.
13, on top of any other civil remedy the City may pursue. window needs to structure it as something other than a residential garage sale, since the ordinance offers no permit path to exceed those numbers.
Violations & Fines
Running a garage sale that exceeds the four-sales-a-year, two-consecutive-day, or 7:00 a.m.-to-7:00 p.m. limits reclassifies it as a prohibited commercial garage sale under § 22-10(b)(2), and the seller is subject to administrative citation under Code §§ 1-2.00 through 1-2.13, in addition to any other civil remedy the City may pursue.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many garage sales can I hold per year in Monterey?
What hours can I run a garage sale in Monterey?
Are estate sales counted toward Monterey's garage sale limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey to another location·View the California garage & yard sales overview
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Frequency, Duration & Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Monterey County handle frequency, duration & permits.