Simi Valley, CA Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Frequency limit
- One three-day event per 180-day period
- Governing section
- SVMC Section 9-52.080(C)(1)
- Permit needed
- None, if within the frequency limit
- Exceeding the limit
- Treated as a prohibited commercial retail business
- Business tax
- Exempt under SVMC Section 3-1.114
Summary
Simi Valley allows a garage or yard sale without a Temporary Use Permit only if it runs no more than three days and does not repeat more than once every 180 days. SVMC Section 9-52.080(C)(1) treats more frequent sales as an unpermitted commercial retail business in a residential zone, which the Development Code prohibits outright.
C.Exempt temporary uses. Only the following limited-duration activities are exempt from the requirement for a Temporary Use Permit:1.Garage sales; provided, the sales do not occur any more frequently than one three-day event in each 180-day period. Garage sales occurring more frequently shall be considered a commercial retail sales business in a residential zoning district, which is prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
080 exempts certain short, limited-duration activities from the City's Temporary Use Permit requirement, and Subsection (C)(1) sets the terms for garage sales: they are exempt provided the sales do not occur any more frequently than one three-day event in each 180-day period. The same sentence spells out the consequence of exceeding that frequency: garage sales occurring more frequently shall be considered a commercial retail sales business in a residential zoning district, which is prohibited. The Development Code separately defines a garage sale, in its Glossary, as the sale from a residence or residential lot of a vendor's own personal property that has been used in his home and was not purchased, acquired, or solicited for the purpose of resale, a definition that also covers yard and patio sales.
114 separately exempts a person conducting a garage or yard sale of their own unacquired, unconsigned personal property from the City's business tax provisions, so a compliant one-weekend sale owes no business tax certificate fee on top of staying under the 180-day frequency cap. 080 regulates as permitted, non-exempt temporary uses.
Violations & Fines
A garage sale held more than once every 180 days, or one that runs longer than three days, loses its exemption and is treated as a commercial retail sales business operating in a residential zoning district, a use the Development Code prohibits outright. Code enforcement can act on a complaint, and a resident found running sales on this basis can be required to stop and to obtain whatever commercial land use approval, if any, would apply, none of which is available for retail sales in a residential zone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many garage sales can I hold per year in Simi Valley?
Do I need a permit or business license for a weekend garage sale?
What if I sell items I bought specifically to resell at my garage sale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Simi Valley
California rules heatmap·Compare Simi Valley to another location·View the California garage & yard sales overview
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