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St. Louis, MO Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Front-yard sales
Prohibited outright citywide
Sidewalk/street use
Requires festival permit, Ch. 20.46
Penalty
$50-$500 fine or 90 days jail
Governing chapter
Municipal Code Chapter 15.156

Summary

St. Louis bans retail sales in the front yard of any residentially zoned property, and anyone using the public sidewalk or street for a yard, garage, or lawn sale must first get a festival permit under Chapter 20.46.

No person or group of persons shall be permitted to conduct a yard sale, garage sale or lawn sale, or activities of substantially the same character, being activity as defined in this chapter, unless they have first obtained a festival permit as provided by Chapter 20.46 to use the public sidewalk or streets the area on which said activity is to be conducted.

Source: STL Zoning CodeView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11).

Full Breakdown

City code flatly prohibits conducting a retail sale in the front yard of any residentially zoned lot, covering what the ordinance calls a yard sale, garage sale, or lawn sale. Sellers may not display goods in that front yard either. If the sale spills onto the public sidewalk or street, the seller must first obtain a festival permit under Chapter 20.46 before using that public space: the ordinance does not authorize a blanket at-home permit, only permission to occupy the public right-of-way. There is no separate zoning-based garage-sale permit process outside this festival-permit route.

Violations & Fines

Violating the yard-sale chapter carries a fine of $50 to $500, up to 90 days imprisonment, or both, under St. Louis Revised Code § 15.156.030.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit for a garage sale in St. Louis?
Not for a sale confined to your own property away from the front yard. You only need a festival permit under Chapter 20.46 if the sale uses the public sidewalk or street.
Can I hold a yard sale in my front yard in St. Louis?
No. City code makes it unlawful to conduct or display a retail sale, including yard, garage, or lawn sales, in the front yard of any residentially zoned property.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in St. Louis

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All St. Louis rules

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