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

Garage sales and their signage are defined and limited in Section 21.12.260 of the Stanislaus County Zoning Ordinance (Title 21). The definition of 'garage sales, yard sales, moving sales, patio sales and similar uses' covers the retail sale of used or secondhand goods in connection with a lawfully existing dwelling, subject to conditions. Subsection A limits each sale to no more than three consecutive days and to no more than two separate occasions within any one calendar year. Subsection B provides that no such sale 'shall result in the use of more than two unlighted signs not exceeding three square feet each in area,' and that the signs may be 'displayed only on private property with the consent of the owner thereof and only during such times as the garage sale is actually being conducted.' That means temporary garage-sale signs may not be lit, may not exceed three square feet, are capped at two per sale, must stay on private property with permission, and must be taken down when the sale ends. Garage sales themselves are an allowed accessory use in residential districts such as R-A (Section 21.24.020). The ordinance does not authorize placing these signs in the public right-of-way, on utility poles, or on county property. Because the limits are written into the zoning definition, exceeding the sign size or count, or leaving signs up after the sale, is a zoning violation. Owners should confirm any community-specific rules with the Planning Department.