Sammamish, WA Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempt garage sales per year
- Up to 4, SMC 5.05.030(4)(c)
- 5th+ sale
- Requires general business license
- License issued by
- City Director, Chapter 5.05
- No license when required
- Misdemeanor, SMC 5.05.090
- Repeat violation
- Gross misdemeanor
Summary
Sammamish exempts residential garage sales from its business license requirement, but only up to four sales per calendar year. SMC 5.05.030(4)(c) caps "casual and isolated sales, including garage sales" at four per year; a resident holding a fifth sale in the same year must obtain a general business license under Chapter 5.05.
Casual and isolated sales, including garage sales conducted on residential premises in compliance with this code; provided, that not more than four such sales are made during the calendar year;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance O2026-598, and legislation passed through August 18, 2026).
Full Breakdown
030, requires "every person who engages in business within the City" to obtain an annual license from the Director. Subsection (4) carves out specific exemptions, and subsection (4)(c) is the one governing yard and garage sales: "Casual and isolated sales, including garage sales conducted on residential premises in compliance with this code; provided, that not more than four such sales are made during the calendar year" are exempt from licensing. 040 before continuing to sell. 030(5)), but none of those substitute for the four-sale cap on garage sales specifically.
090: operating a business, including exceeding the exempt sale count, without the required license is a misdemeanor, and a second violation within the enforcement window becomes a gross misdemeanor. 050(1), with applications going to the Director on City-supplied forms.
Violations & Fines
Holding a fifth (or later) garage sale in one calendar year forfeits the SMC 5.05.030(4)(c) exemption; failing to obtain the resulting business license is a misdemeanor under SMC 5.05.090(2)(a), and a second or subsequent violation escalates to a gross misdemeanor. Business licenses must be secured from the Director before any nonexempt sale activity continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many garage sales can I hold at my Sammamish home each year without a license?
What happens if I hold a fifth garage sale?
Do I need a permit for each individual garage sale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sammamish
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