Wake County UDO Article 18 permits temporary garage/yard sale signs in unincorporated areas. NCDOT regulations prohibit signs in state-road ROW that are over 6 sq ft. Each Wake municipality sets its own size limit (commonly 4-6 sq ft) and time limit (signs removed within 24 hours of sale).
Wake County's UDO treats yard-sale signs as 'temporary signs' under Article 18 — generally permitted on private property with owner consent. State NCDOT rules (NCGS §136-32) cap any sign in highway ROW at 6 sq ft. Inside Raleigh, garage sale signs may not be larger than 4 sq ft, must be removed within 24 hours after the sale, and may not be attached to utility poles or street signs (Raleigh §10-2002.5). Cary §15-4 sets similar limits. Apex §6.6 requires removal within 48 hours. Signs nailed to trees or utility poles are subject to immediate removal by code enforcement.
Signs left up past the deadline: removal by city/county and possible $25-100 civil penalty per occurrence. Repeat offenders may receive cease-and-desist letters from city legal departments.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Cary, NC
Cary regulates amplified music under the general noise ordinance. Sound permits available for events. N.C.G.S. §14-288.4 applies to unreasonable disturbances.
Cary, NC
Cary Code of Ordinances Chapter 22, Division 2 prohibits unreasonably loud, disturbing noises that annoy, disturb, or endanger citizens. The ordinance restri...
Cary, NC
Cary regulates construction noise through its general noise ordinance (Chapter 22). Construction activity near residential areas should be confined to reason...
Cary, NC
Cary's noise ordinance covers barking dogs under the general prohibition on disturbing noises. Persistently barking dogs that disturb neighbors may result in...
Cary, NC
Cary's Land Development Ordinance restricts parking of RVs, boats, and trailers in residential areas. These vehicles typically must be stored in rear or side...
Cary, NC
Cary restricts parking of commercial vehicles in residential zones. Large commercial vehicles, semi-trucks, and heavy equipment may not be stored in resident...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Wake County.
See how other cities in Wake County handle garage sale signs.
See how Cary's garage sale signs rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.