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

The County of San Diego Zoning Ordinance (Section 6156, Residential and Agricultural Use Types) lists 'Garage Sale' at subsection (gg) as a permitted accessory use. It defines a garage sale as 'the sale of household articles or personal possessions incidentally accumulated during normal or conforming residential use of the property on which the sale is held,' permitted subject to four restrictions: (1) such sales shall not exceed three (3) consecutive days in duration; (2) no more than four (4) such sales shall be held during any calendar year; (3) no sale of vehicles (other than bicycles), industrial or commercial equipment, or items purchased for resale is permitted; and (4) the sale of personal items belonging to persons not residing on the property, e.g., neighbors, is permitted. These limits are specific to the unincorporated County and differ from incorporated cities; for example, the City of San Diego separately allows up to three sales per year of two days each. Because the County regulates garage sales through zoning rather than a separate licensing ordinance, the published Zoning Ordinance text does not impose a permit or fee, but selling prohibited items or exceeding the frequency limits would be a zoning violation enforceable by Code Compliance.