York County, VA Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)

Section 24.1-271(l) of the York County Code treats yard and garage sales as a permitted residential accessory use, but only within firm limits. Items offered must belong to an occupant of the premises or an authorized participant and must be goods normally kept on a residential property; nothing bought or crafted specifically for resale qualifies. Participation is limited to the occupant plus not more than four non-occupants, whether or not each non-occupant is physically present during the sale. Most restrictively, § 24.1-271(l)(3) caps such sales at two per calendar year per lot, and no single sale may run longer than three consecutive days.

Because the rule sits in Article II, Division 7's accessory-use list, no separate temporary-use permit or fee applies the way it does for craft sales and shows under § 24.1-271(m), which are limited to one event of up to six days within a ten-day span and do require a zoning administrator's temporary permit and a five-dollar processing fee. Planning and Development Services' zoning administrator handles complaints and compliance questions for both categories.