New Braunfels, TX Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Sales allowed
- 2 per calendar year
- Minimum spacing
- 6 months apart
- Permit required
- None
- Sign size cap
- 8 sq ft
- Citation
- Sec. 144-5.5(5.5-5)(d)
Summary
New Braunfels caps residential garage sales at two per calendar year, spaced at least six months apart, as an exception to the home occupation ban on on-site retail sales; no permit or registration is required.
On-premises retail or wholesale sales of any kind where multiple customers patronize the sales business on-site, except for items that are produced entirely on the premises in conformance with this Code, and except for occasional garage sales (no more than two per calendar year and shall not be held within six months of each other);
(e) Commercial clothing laundering or cleaning;
(f) Mortuaries or funeral homes;
(g) Trailer, vehicle, tool or equipment rentals;
(h) Repair shops for any items having internal combustion engines; and
(i) Any use that would be defined by the building code as an assembly, factory or industrial, hazardous, institutional or mercantile occupancy.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 36).
Full Breakdown
The city's home occupation rules bar on-premises retail sales from residential properties, but zoning code Sec. 144-5.5(5.5-5)(d) carves out 'occasional garage sales,' capped at no more than two per calendar year and never within six months of each other. New Braunfels does not require a permit, license, or advance notice for a garage or yard sale: the frequency cap is self-enforced by neighbors and code enforcement. Sellers may post one on-site 'Garage' or 'yard sale' sign up to eight square feet under Sec. 106-10(14), placed only for the duration of the sale.
Violations & Fines
Holding a third sale in the same year, or two sales within six months, isn't a permit violation: it strips the exemption and makes the activity an unlawful on-site retail use under the home occupation rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a garage sale in New Braunfels?
How big can my garage sale sign be?
What happens if I hold more than two sales a year?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Braunfels
Texas rules heatmap·Compare New Braunfels to another location·View the Texas garage & yard sales overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.