Bernalillo County, NM Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Sign size limit
- 4 sq ft maximum
- Display period
- 3 consecutive days
- Sales per dwelling
- 4 per calendar year
- Illumination
- Not permitted
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county zones only
Summary
In unincorporated Bernalillo County, garage and yard sale signs are capped at one non-illuminated sign per property, four square feet, posted only during the three-day sale.
Garage and yard sale, provided:1.No more than four events are allowed at a given dwelling in any calendar year. The duration of the garage or yard sale shall not exceed three consecutive days. ... 3.One non-illuminated, on-premises sign, not exceeding four square feet in area shall be permitted. The sign shall pertain to the garage or yard sale only and shall be permitted only for the three-day period of the sale.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 92).
Full Breakdown
The county's 1973 zoning ordinance treats a garage or yard sale as a permissive use in residential zones (A-1, A-2, R-1, M-H) only if the sign stays within the rules: one on-premises sign, non-illuminated, no larger than four square feet, and up only for the three consecutive days the sale runs. A dwelling can host at most four such sales a year, and items must come from normal household accumulation, not be bought for resale. This governs unincorporated county land only; Albuquerque enforces its own Integrated Development Ordinance for the same activity inside city limits.
Violations & Fines
A sign that's oversized, illuminated, or left up outside the three-day sale window forfeits the permissive-use exemption; the Zoning Administrator can require its removal and cite the property for a zoning violation under the ordinance's Administrative Section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a garage sale sign in unincorporated Bernalillo County?
Does this rule apply if I live in Albuquerque?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bernalillo County
Compare Bernalillo County to another location·View the New Mexico sign regulations overview
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