Novato, CA Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)

Novato regulates garage sales through its Zoning Ordinance, Chapter XIX of the Novato Municipal Code, enacted by the Novato City Council in Marin County and administered by the Community Development Department. Three provisions bear on frequency, and they do not print the same number.

Section 19.34.130 (Outdoor Dining, Display, and Sales), subsection A.3, covers residential zones: garage sales, yard sales and estate sales are permitted for no more than three consecutive days within a ninety day period. The definition of Garage Sale in Section 19.60.020 repeats that measure. It describes a temporary sale held for no more than 3 consecutive days within a 90 day period, for the purpose of selling, trading or otherwise disposing of household furnishings, personal goods or other tangible properties of a resident of the premises on which the sale is conducted in a residential zone.

Section 19.42.040 (Temporary Use Permits) lists garage sales as an exempt temporary use in subsection C.4. The exemption from a Temporary Use Permit holds only if sales occur no more often than two times within a 12-month period per residence, for a maximum of two consecutive days each. Subsection B bars any temporary land use that operates without a valid Temporary Use Permit, and subsection C adds that uses outside the exempt list must comply with subsection D. Subsection D.3 places rummage sales and second hand sales among the events that need a permit from the Zoning Administrator when they run for 10 consecutive days or less, or four two-day weekends, within a 12-month period.

The code does not reconcile the two sets of numbers in one sentence. The 19.34.130 limit counts days inside a ninety day window. The 19.42.040 exemption counts sales per residence over 12 months and caps each at two days. A resident planning a sale should treat the printed numbers in both sections as the working limits and confirm the intended dates with the Community Development Department before posting signs or advertising.