St. Louis does not require a permit for occasional household garage sales. The zoning code limits sales to a few per year per address (commonly three) and no more than three consecutive days each. Regular resale activity requires a home occupation permit and business license.
Garage and yard sales in St. Louis are treated as accessory residential activity and do not require a Business License Office permit when they are occasional. The zoning code typically caps the number of sales at three per year per household, with each sale limited to three consecutive days. Items offered must be personal household goods rather than merchandise purchased for resale. Signs are regulated separately under Title 26 (see garage-sale-signs). Hosting recurring sales, online resale fulfillment with foot traffic, or sales of newly acquired merchandise is classified as a home occupation or retail use and requires home occupation approval, a business license, and compliance with zoning district rules. Complaints regarding parking, noise, or frequency can be routed through the Citizens Service Bureau.
Operating as a de facto retail business without a home occupation permit can lead to zoning citations with fines per day. Sign code violations are separate under Title 26.
St. Louis, MO
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See how St. Louis's garage sale permits rules stack up against other locations.
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