Chicago does not require a permit for residential garage sales but limits each property to two sales per calendar year under MCC 4-244, each no longer than three consecutive days. Hours are 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Signs are prohibited on public property. Commercial resale requires a Peddler License.
Chicago Municipal Code Section 4-244 (Garage Sales) exempts casual residential garage sales from the city's peddler and rummage sale licensing requirements, provided certain limits are met. Each residential property may hold a maximum of two garage sales per calendar year, with each sale lasting no more than three consecutive days. Sales must occur between 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM. Only personal used household goods belonging to the resident may be sold — commercial inventory, new merchandise, or repeated wholesale resale would require a Peddler License from the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP).
Sign placement is governed by MCC Chapter 10-8: garage sale signs may be placed only on the seller's own private property. Signs on utility poles, traffic signs, street trees, lamp posts, parkways, or any public way are prohibited and may be removed without notice by the Department of Streets and Sanitation. Some neighborhood corridors and historic districts have additional restrictions enforced by alderman offices.
Exceeding the two-sale annual cap or operating a de facto commercial resale without a Peddler License is punishable by fines from $200 to $500 per offense under MCC 4-244, with each day a separate offense. Illegal sign posting carries a separate fine of $50-$200 per sign plus removal cost charged to the property owner. Report violations via 3-1-1.
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