Unincorporated Riverside County allows residents to hold occasional garage sales without a permit, generally limited under Ordinance 348 to two or three events per calendar year per residence with each sale lasting up to three consecutive days. Sales must occur on the resident's own property and cannot create parking or traffic hazards.
Riverside County Ordinance 348 treats occasional garage, yard, and estate sales as a permissible incidental residential activity. The standard limit is two sales per year (some county zones allow three) with each event running up to three consecutive days, typically Friday through Sunday. Items offered must be personal household goods owned by the occupant; reselling merchandise acquired specifically for resale converts the activity into a retail business requiring a home-occupation permit and a county business license. Sales must not spill into the street right-of-way, block sidewalks, or create sight-distance hazards at corners. Parking must remain on the lawful side of the street without blocking driveways or mailboxes. Sales tax is not owed on genuine casual garage sales under California Revenue and Taxation Code (occasional sales exemption). Estate sales conducted by a paid third-party estate liquidator may require a business license for the operator. Firearms, prescription medications, and infant products subject to recall cannot be sold.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Riverside County code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
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