District of Columbia, DC Garage & Yard Sales: Garage Sale Permits (2026)

Washington DC takes a notably permissive approach to residential yard and garage sales. Unlike many Maryland and Virginia jurisdictions, DC does not require a permit, license, or pre-registration for occasional yard sales held on private residential property. A homeowner or tenant can set up in the front yard, side yard, or rear patio and sell used personal property without any DLCP filing. However, several rules still apply. First, sales cannot take place on public sidewalks, tree boxes, or parking lanes without a DDOT Public Space vending permit (required for any commercial activity in the right-of-way). Second, DC's aggressive posting ordinance at DCMR Title 24 section 108 prohibits affixing signs to utility poles, light poles, street trees, and traffic signs — a violation carries a $50 fine per sign, and sign crews routinely remove and cite offenders. Signs may be placed on the seller's own property or temporary freestanding 'A-frame' signs within a property line. Third, the sale must remain occasional; ongoing or frequent sales may be reclassified as operating an unlicensed second-hand dealership under DC Code section 47-2851.03. Sales tax applies under OTR rules only if the seller is 'engaged in business' — genuine garage sales of personal property are generally exempt. Stolen property sales are enforced under DC Code 22-3232.