Chesapeake allows residential garage sales without a city permit or business license for occasional private sales of personal household items. Frequent sales may be treated as an unlicensed business. Signs are regulated under the city sign ordinance and must be removed promptly after the sale.
Under Chesapeake Zoning Ordinance provisions, garage, yard, and estate sales held on residential property are considered accessory residential uses when limited in frequency (typically no more than 3-4 per year at the same address) and duration (usually 2-3 consecutive days). No business license, permit, or Transient Occupancy Tax is required for genuine household sales. Sellers whose activity exceeds the occasional threshold may be required to obtain a business license from the Commissioner of the Revenue and comply with home occupation zoning rules. Signs advertising the sale may only be placed on the sale property or with written permission of the adjacent property owner; placement in the public right-of-way, on utility poles, or on traffic signs is prohibited and subject to removal by the city.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Chesapeake, VA
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See how Chesapeake's garage sale rules rules stack up against other locations.
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