Sammamish, WA Property Maintenance: Garage Sale Rules (2026)

Sammamish treats residential garage sales as exempt casual sales rather than as a licensed business. The City's business license chapter, SMC 5.05, normally requires anyone 'engaging in business' to obtain a license (SMC 5.05.020, 5.05.030). However, SMC 5.05.030(4)(c) expressly exempts from the licensing provisions 'casual and isolated sales, including garage sales conducted on residential premises in compliance with this code; provided, that not more than four such sales are made during the calendar year.' That four-sales-per-year cap is the key local limit: hold four or fewer garage/yard sales on your residential property in a calendar year and no Sammamish business license is required. There is no separate garage-sale permit, fee, or registration in the municipal code, and no SMC chapter sets specific hours or signage rules dedicated to garage sales. (Signs placed in the public right-of-way are separately regulated — illegally placed signs carry a $25-per-sign fee under SMC 23.100.010, and temporary signs are governed by the City's sign code.) Running frequent or ongoing sales beyond four per year, or operating a retail business from the home, would fall outside the exemption and could require a business license and home-occupation compliance. Always keep sale items on private residential property and avoid blocking sidewalks or rights-of-way.