Denver does not require a permit for residential garage sales but limits each property to four sales per calendar year, each lasting no more than three consecutive days. Hours are 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Signs are prohibited on public property and require removal within 24 hours after the sale. Violations carry fines up to $999.
Denver Revised Municipal Code Section 32-22 exempts casual residential garage sales from the city's peddler licensing requirements, subject to limits. Each residential property may hold a maximum of four garage sales per calendar year, with each sale lasting no more than three consecutive days. Permitted hours are 8:00 AM through 8:00 PM. Only personal used household goods belonging to the resident may be sold; commercial resale, new merchandise, or repeated weekly sales would constitute a business activity requiring a Denver retail sales license.
Sign placement is regulated under DRMC Chapter 49 (Streets and Sidewalks) and Chapter 10 (Sign Code). Garage sale signs may be placed only on the seller's own private property and on private property with owner permission — never on utility poles, traffic-control devices, lamp posts, street trees, medians, sidewalks, or any public right-of-way. Signs must be removed within 24 hours after the sale ends. The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) actively removes illegally posted signs.
Exceeding the four-sale annual cap or operating a de facto commercial resale is a violation punishable by fines up to $999 per offense, with each day a separate offense. Illegal sign posting carries a separate fine of $150 per sign plus removal cost. Repeated violations may result in mandatory court appearance and additional penalties.
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