North Hempstead, NY Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max sales
- 4 per calendar year per property
- Max duration
- 3 consecutive days each
- Hours allowed
- daylight hours only
- Permit needed
- none required
- Signage rule
- must comply with Article XXI
- Adopted
- 10-20-2015 by L.L. No. 14-2015
Summary
North Hempstead allows garage sales in residential zoning districts without a permit, but Town Code § 70-100.3A caps them at four sales per calendar year per property, each running no more than three consecutive days. Sales must be held during daylight hours only, and any signage has to comply with the Town's general sign law.
Garage sales shall be allowed in residential zoning districts without a permit, subject to the following conditions: Not more than four garage sales of up to three consecutive days each per calendar year may be conducted per property. Garage sales shall be held during daylight hours only.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4892187; v82 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
Added in 2015 by Local Law No. 3A treats garage sales as a "permitted temporary use" in residential zoning districts, meaning a homeowner does not need to apply for a Town permit before holding one. The tradeoff is a firm frequency cap: not more than four garage sales, of up to three consecutive days each, per calendar year, per property. A sale that runs a fourth or fifth consecutive day, or a fifth sale in the same year at the same address, falls outside the exemption.
Sales must also be held during daylight hours only, so a nighttime or after-dark sale is not covered by the temporary-use permission even if it stays within the four-per-year cap. The section's definition of "garage sale" is broad by design: it covers any casual sale of tangible personal property at a residential premises under any of the common labels, including yard sale, tag sale, porch sale, lawn sale, attic sale, basement sale, rummage sale, flea market sale, or estate sale, so long as the goods being sold are personal property the resident actually owns and uses rather than merchandise bought for resale or held on consignment.
The definition of "personal property" specifically excludes items acquired for resale, which distinguishes a residential garage sale from an unlicensed retail operation being run out of a house. 3A(3).
Violations & Fines
Exceeding four garage sales a year, running a sale longer than three consecutive days, or holding one after dark falls outside § 70-100.3A's no-permit exemption and becomes a Zoning Code violation. Under the catch-all penalty in § 70-235K, that means up to $1,000 for a first offense, $1,000 to $2,500 for a second offense within five years, and $2,500 to $10,000 or up to 15 days in jail for a third, with each week of a noncompliant sale counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many garage sales can I hold per year in North Hempstead?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Hempstead
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