Sarasota, FL Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)

Sarasota City Code § 28-1 defines a "garage sale" broadly: the display, sale or offer for sale of any goods, wares or merchandise at a location within a residential district of the city, whether called a carport sale, yard sale, rummage sale or similar. Section 28-2 caps each residence at two garage sales per calendar year, and no single sale may run more than two consecutive days. , regardless of whether the visitor buys anything. Enforcement runs through § 28-4. ), or be charged as a noncriminal infraction.

A cited violator signs a promise to appear before a county judge but is not entitled to a jury trial or court-appointed counsel, and may instead pay the civil penalty to the city auditor and clerk within ten days: fines climb from $50 for a first offense to $100 for a second, $150 for a third, and $200 for a fourth and each later offense, plus a $10 delinquency fee if payment misses the 10-day window. A violator may instead demand a hearing before a county judge; if the infraction is proven there, the $200 penalty becomes mandatory, and the clerk of court must notify the city auditor and clerk of the outcome within 30 days.