Pismo Beach, CA Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License exemption
- Sales of not more than four days in any calendar year
- Zoning limit (1998 Zoning Code)
- Up to four times per year per property
- Length per sale (1998 Zoning Code)
- Maximum of three days per sale
- Goods covered by exemption
- Household goods of the occupant, not acquired for sale
- Past the limit
- Deemed the conduct of a business under § 5.04.010
Summary
In the City of Pismo Beach, California, two provisions cap garage sales. Municipal Code § 5.04.500 exempts a resident from a business license only for sales of not more than four days in any calendar year, and § 17.38.150(D) of the 1998 Zoning Code permits yard sales up to four times per year per property for a maximum of three days per sale.
No license shall be required for a person to sell from the person’s own residence, for a period of not to exceed four (4) days in any calendar year, household furniture, furnishings, appliances, and goods belonging to the occupant of the residence and not acquired for the purpose of sale. Such sales shall be referred to as “garage sales.” Any sale taking place for more than four (4) days, whether consecutive or not, during any calendar year, or otherwise not strictly complying with the provisions of this section, shall be deemed to constitute the conduct of a business as defined in Section 5.04.010, and shall be conducted in compliance with all applicable provisions of this chapter and of the city zoning laws. ... D. Garage/Yard Sales. The sale of miscellaneous items by residents from a yard or open garage is permitted up to four times per year per property, for a maximum of three days per sale.
Full Breakdown
The Pismo Beach Municipal Code caps garage sales in two places, and the numbers are counted differently. This page keeps them apart.
The business license rule is § 5.04.500. No license is required for a person to sell from the person's own residence, for a period of not to exceed four days in any calendar year, household furniture, furnishings, appliances and goods belonging to the occupant of the residence and not acquired for the purpose of sale. The code calls these sales garage sales. A sale lasting more than four days, whether consecutive or not, during any calendar year, or one that otherwise does not strictly comply with the section, is deemed to be the conduct of a business as defined in § 5.04.010, and must comply with the provisions of Chapter 5.04 and the city zoning laws. Section 5.04.010 defines business as professions, trades and occupations and every kind of calling carried on for profit or livelihood, and § 5.04.020 bars anyone from engaging in business in the city without a license from the administrator.
The zoning rule is § 17.38.150(D) of the 1998 Zoning Code, under residential accessory uses and structures. The sale of miscellaneous items by residents from a yard or open garage is permitted up to four times per year per property, for a maximum of three days per sale. Title 17 prints two zoning codes, the 1983 Zoning Ordinance and the 1998 Zoning Code, and this page quotes the 1998 Zoning Code because it is the one that addresses garage and yard sales. Section 17.38.150 opens by saying that specific residential accessory uses are subject to it when permitted in the zoning district applicable to a site.
The license rule counts days per calendar year, and the zoning rule counts sales per property and days per sale. The four-day figure and the three-day figure are separate printed numbers and are not combined here.
Pismo Beach uses two adopted zoning codes. The city's Zoning and Land Use page states that properties inside the Coastal Zone are regulated by the 1983 Zoning Code, and properties outside the Coastal Zone are regulated by the 1998 Zoning Code.
Violations & Fines
A sale that runs past the four-day limit or does not strictly comply with § 5.04.500 is treated as a business, so running it without a license violates § 5.04.020. Section 1.20.010 makes violating a city ordinance a misdemeanor unless made an infraction, with a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or imprisonment not to exceed six months for a misdemeanor, and fines not exceeding one hundred, two hundred and five hundred dollars for a first, second and third infraction within twelve months.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days can I hold a garage sale in Pismo Beach each year?
Do I need a license for a garage sale?
Can I buy items to resell at a garage sale?
Which zoning code holds the garage sale rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pismo Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Pismo Beach to another location·View the California garage & yard sales overview
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