Sedona, AZ Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max length per sale
- 3 consecutive days
- Annual cap per location
- 8 days per year
- Governing section
- SCC 5.05.010
- Exceeding the cap requires
- City business license
- Maximum penalty
- $2,500 fine / 6 months jail
Summary
Sedona treats yard and garage sales as a tax-exempt "casual activity" only up to a point: three consecutive days per sale and eight days total per year at one location. Go beyond that under City Code Section 5.05.010 and the sale stops being casual, triggering the city's regular business license and privilege tax rules.
“Casual activity or sale” means a single or incidental transaction of an isolated nature made by a person who neither represents himself to be nor is engaged in a business subject to a license fee imposed by this chapter. Examples of casual activities or sales include but are not limited to: A. Individual or group yard sales at any one location not exceeding three consecutive days in duration and totaling not more than eight days per year.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Initiative Ordinance 2026-01, approved by voters at the July 21, 2026 election).
Full Breakdown
025(H). 010 spells out the cap directly: an individual or group yard sale at any one location cannot run more than three consecutive days at a time, and the combined total across the year cannot exceed eight days. A second exempted category in the same definition covers sales run by children or minors under 18. 010 defines it. 020(A), and must comply with the Sedona City Code, the Sedona Land Development Code, and Arizona Revised Statutes governing that business, including any applicable zoning restrictions on the use. 020(D) requires the license be displayed where the public can see it during operation. 030.
Violations & Fines
Running a yard sale beyond the three-consecutive-day or eight-day-per-year casual-activity threshold without a business license violates SCC 5.05.020(A) and is a Class 1 misdemeanor under SCC 5.05.020(F), punishable by a fine of up to $2,500, imprisonment up to six months, or both. The city may also pursue a civil injunction against the ongoing sale under SCC 5.05.020(G) in addition to criminal prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days can I hold a garage sale in Sedona each year?
Do I need a permit for a single weekend yard sale?
What happens if my sale runs longer than three days?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sedona
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