Unincorporated San Mateo County garage sales must stay within reasonable daylight hours, typically 8 AM to 6 PM, and remain within the Chapter 4.88 Noise Control exterior limits at the property line. Friday-Sunday weekend sales are most common. All merchandise, tables, and signs must be removed from public view at the end of each sale day. Leaving items outside overnight can trigger property blight/nuisance enforcement.
While the County does not specify numeric sale hours in a dedicated garage sale section, two overlapping constraints govern timing: the Chapter 4.88 Noise Control daytime window (7 AM-10 PM for noise) and the County's public nuisance/blight provisions prohibiting extended visible accumulation of goods in yards. Practical enforcement norms: 8 AM to 6 PM Friday through Sunday (matching the industry standard and City of San Mateo's Chapter 5.64 which explicitly codifies these hours). Early-morning setup creating noise before 7 AM (and certainly before 8 AM Saturdays) can violate Chapter 4.88. At the end of each sale day, all tables, racks, displays, and unsold merchandise must be moved into the garage, house, or rear yard out of sight from the public right-of-way. Signs must be removed within 24 hours of sale end. Sellers are responsible for keeping adjacent sidewalks clear and not blocking neighbors' driveways with shopper parking. Generally sellers should not route shopper traffic through HOA or private roads without HOA permission.
Sale outside reasonable hours: Chapter 4.88 noise violation $100-$500 first offense. Items left at curb overnight/after sale: public nuisance/blight $50-$200 per §1.04. Signs not removed within 24 hours of sale: $25-$50. Blocking driveways or fire hydrants: Sheriff citation and towing at owner cost.
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