Nicholasville, KY Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)

Chapter 17, Article II of the Nicholasville Code of Ordinances governs yard sales. Section 17-16 defines a yard sale as the sale of furniture, household equipment and other related items by a person not already engaged in a lawful licensed business for the particular site of the sale in the city. Under § 17-17(a), the chief of police is empowered to issue a permit upon request to any resident of the city. Two caps apply at the same time. No person shall be issued more than two permits during the calendar year, and there shall not be a permit issued for one site more than twice a year during the calendar year.

A resident who has used both permits cannot get a third from the chief of police, and an address that has hosted two permitted sales is closed out for the rest of that calendar year. Section 17-17(b) sets the fee at five dollars ($5.00) for the issuance of a permit. Section 17-18 limits duration: a yard sale shall run no longer than two consecutive days, excluding Sundays. Article IV, the itinerant merchant article, handles these sales separately. Section 17-31(a) says no itinerant merchant permit is required for yard sales, garage sales, bake sales or other similar activities, but they must be temporary and non-recurring in nature, must comply with all local ordinance and zoning ordinance provisions, and must not be located on public property or public right-of-way unless expressly authorized by the City of Nicholasville.