No Hampshire County rule governs garage-sale signs; towns handle them through local sign bylaws. A sign on your own lawn is generally fine, but one staked in a public way or a state right-of-way can be pulled by the town DPW or MassDOT.
Garage-sale signs fall under each town's zoning or general bylaws, not any county rule, because the county has no government. On private property with the owner's consent a temporary sale sign is normally allowed, though many towns cap how many days it may stay and require removal after the sale. The trouble is placement off your land: signs stuck in the public way, on utility poles, or in a state highway right-of-way are prohibited in most communities and removed by the DPW or MassDOT. A bylaw under Chapter 40A may limit size and duration as long as the limit stays content-neutral. Amherst and Northampton enforce more actively than smaller towns.
Signs placed in the public way, on utility poles, or in a state right-of-way are removed without notice, and repeat offenders can draw the fines set in a town's sign bylaw.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Belchertown's garage sale signs rules stack up against other locations.
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