Stanislaus County, CA Property Maintenance: Garage Sale Rules (2026)

Yard and garage sales in unincorporated Stanislaus County are regulated under the Zoning Ordinance, Section 21.12.260, and the County's Planning & Community Development FAQ summarizes the rules. No permit is required, and the County does not require registration to hold a sale on your own property. However, you may conduct no more than two yard sales in one calendar year, and a single sale cannot exceed three consecutive days. Signage is limited: up to two signs may be posted, each not exceeding three square feet in area, and signs must be placed on private property with the consent of the property owner and only while the sale is occurring. These limits keep occasional garage sales as a permitted accessory use while preventing properties from operating a continuous retail business under the guise of yard sales, which would require commercial zoning. The two-sales-per-year and three-day caps are the County's specific limits for unincorporated parcels; the incorporated cities (Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, and others) set their own garage-sale rules. For questions about a specific parcel, the Planning Department can be reached at (209) 525-6330.