Akron, OH Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Max sign size
- 4 square feet
- Posting window
- No more than 3 days before sale
- Removal deadline
- 1 day after sale ends
- Setback
- 5 ft from lot line, 12 ft from ROW
- Enforcing agency
- Superintendent of Building Inspection
- First-offense fine
- Up to $100 administrative
Summary
Akron caps garage and yard sale signs at four square feet under City Code § 153.365(A)(11). The sign can go up no more than three days before the sale and must come down within one day after it ends. Placement rules keep every temporary sign at least five feet off the property line and twelve feet back from the paved right-of-way.
11.Temporary, on-premises signs advertising the date, time, and location of a garage or yard sale and not exceeding four square feet in area. Such signs shall be posted no more than three days prior to and removed one day after the sale;... B.Sign Placement.1.No sign permitted under this section shall be placed within five feet of any property line nor within twelve feet of the paved portion of the public right-of-way;2.No freestanding sign permitted under this section shall exceed forty-two inches in height, measured from grade at the sign, if placed in front of the established building line... Penalty, see § 153.199.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
365(A), the same list that covers real estate signs, political signs, and holiday displays. Subsection (A)(11) singles out 'temporary, on-premises signs advertising the date, time, and location of a garage or yard sale' and limits them to four square feet. Timing is strict: the ordinance says such signs 'shall be posted no more than three days prior to and removed one day after the sale,' so a Saturday sale means posting no earlier than Wednesday and taking it down by Sunday. 365, including garage-sale signs: none may sit within five feet of a property line or within twelve feet of the paved portion of the public right-of-way, and any freestanding sign placed in front of the building line is capped at forty-two inches in height.
No sign under this section may sit inside the public right-of-way itself except the narrow categories carved out in subsection (A)(4). The City does not require a permit for a garage-sale sign, but leaving it up past the one-day removal deadline, oversizing it beyond four square feet, or planting it inside the setback turns the posting into a code violation. 199.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the sign chapter, including an oversized or overdue garage-sale sign, is enforced under § 153.199. The City can impose an administrative fine of up to $100 for a first offense, up to $500 for a second, and up to $1,000 for a third or subsequent offense. Criminal enforcement is also available: a third-degree misdemeanor carrying up to $500 and sixty days in jail, with mandatory minimum fines starting at $50 that rise for repeat offenders.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big can my garage sale sign be in Akron?
When do I have to take my garage sale sign down?
Can I put my garage sale sign at the curb or in the street right-of-way?
What happens if I leave a garage sale sign up too long?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
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