Alpine County, CA Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)

Garage-sale signs fall under the temporary and off-premises sign provisions of Alpine County's Chapter 18.74, applied countywide because the county has no incorporated cities. Section 18.74.050 prohibits off-premises signs except for limited cases such as certain Caltrans highway signs and temporary signs allowed under Section 18.74.090(D). For temporary signs tied to an event or occurrence, Section 18.74.090(E) allows the sign to be in place a maximum of 14 days before the event and requires removal within 3 days after it concludes, with the event not exceeding 30 days. An application generally must be filed at least 10 days prior to placement, though review requirements for the Markleeville Historic District and Bear Valley are waived for qualifying temporary signs. A small on-premises sign at the home holding the sale may also fall under exempt categories, such as incidental signs of 4 square feet or less in aggregate (Section 18.74.040(H)). Posting directional garage-sale signs along roads or at intersections away from the sale site is the type of off-premises signage the code restricts, and signs may not be placed in the public right-of-way or where they block traffic sight lines. Kirkwood has its own separate sign ordinance.