Dearborn, MI Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Public property signs
- prohibited outright
- Private property signs
- owner's express consent required
- Removal deadline
- within 24 hours after sale ends
- Governing section
- § 12-140(b), Conditions of license
- Typical sale length
- up to 3 days, § 12-140(c)
- License display
- front window, visible from street
- General penalty
- up to $500 fine or 93 days
Summary
Dearborn bans garage-sale signs on public property, and on private property without the owner's consent, and requires every sign to come down within 24 hours after the sale ends, under Code of Ordinances § 12-140(b).
(a) No person shall conduct, advertise or promote any sale regulated by this article without a license issued pursuant thereto. (b) No signs advertising a sale regulated by this article shall be placed on public property or on private property without the express consent of the owner. Within 24 hours after the conclusion of a sale, all signs shall be removed. ... (d) The license authorizing such sale shall be displayed in the front window or other prominent place, clearly visible from the street, at each location where a sale is being conducted.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-07: Code: Updated through: July 22, 2026 | Zoning: Updated through: July 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 12-140(b) governs signage for every sale regulated by Article V, meaning garage, lawn, attic, rummage, and flea market sales defined in § 12-136: "No signs advertising a sale regulated by this article shall be placed on public property or on private property without the express consent of the owner. " That sign rule sits inside the broader "Conditions of license" section, which also requires that no sale be conducted, advertised, or promoted without a license under (a), and that the license itself be displayed "in the front window or other prominent place, clearly visible from the street" at each sale location under (d).
Because § 12-140(c) caps most sales at three consecutive days, a sign posted at the start of a typical sale is legal for roughly four days total once the 24-hour removal window is added, except for a flea-market sale licensed for up to six months in an industrially zoned district. Article V sets no dedicated fine for a sign violation, so enforcement runs through the Code's general penalty at § 1-9, and the city clerk retains authority to suspend or revoke the underlying sale license for cause under § 12-12 if signage violations accompany other license violations.
Violations & Fines
Placing a sign without the property owner's consent, posting on public property, or failing to remove signs within 24 hours after the sale ends violates § 12-140(b). Because Article V sets no sign-specific fine, the Code's general penalty at § 1-9 applies: a fine of up to $500, imprisonment up to 93 days, or both, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense, plus possible suspension or revocation of the sale license under § 12-12.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a garage sale sign on a street corner in Dearborn?
How soon must I take down my Dearborn garage sale signs?
Can I put a sign in my neighbor's yard for my Dearborn garage sale?
What happens if I leave my Dearborn garage sale signs up too long?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dearborn
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How other cities in Wayne County handle garage sale signs.