Springfield, IL Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)

City Code Sec. 1(a) caps garage sales at any one location to no more than twice within a six-month period, and limits each sale to three consecutive days. m. The ordinance defines 'person' broadly to include individuals, partnerships, voluntary associations, and corporations, so the frequency cap applies to any resident, group, or organization holding a sale at the same address, not just the property owner. Sec. 1(b) adds a tax consequence for repeat violators: anyone who exceeds the twice-per-six-months or three-day limits is treated as a 'retailer,' as that term is defined in Chapter 100, Sec.

02 of the City Code's taxation provisions, which can trigger retailers' occupation tax obligations on the sale of used household goods that would otherwise be exempt. The section sits in Article III, Supplementary Use Regulations, of the zoning chapter, alongside the home occupation standards in Sec. 045, but garage sales are treated as a distinct, citywide activity rather than a home occupation, so the separate home occupation customer, signage, and hours limits do not apply to a garage sale. Because the ordinance measures frequency 'at any one location,' the code sets no exception for a change of resident or ownership at the same address.