Knox County, TN Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Right-of-way placement
- No signs on poles, trees, fences in ROW
- Size cap
- 150 square feet maximum
- Removal deadline
- 24 hours after notice, or county removes it
- Penalty
- Up to $50/day, misdemeanor citation
- Frequency for the sale itself
- 3 yard sales/year, Sec. 2.20
Summary
A garage sale sign in unincorporated Knox County counts as a temporary sign under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 3.90.05, so it can't be nailed, wired, or tied to a utility pole, tree, stone, fence or any other object inside a street right-of-way, and it can't block sightlines at an intersection or sit in a required parking space. The section caps any temporary sign at 150 square feet and makes an unremoved sign a misdemeanor carrying a $50-per-day fine.
A.Temporary signs shall not be erected or otherwise fixed to any pole, tree, stone, fence, building, structure or any object within the right-of-way of any street.B.No temporary sign shall be erected at the intersection of any street in such a manner as to obstruct free and clear vision, or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal, or device, or located in any required parking space.C.Each business may erect or post a temporary sign on two (2) occasions during each calendar year, provided that each such occurrence does not exceed thirty (30) days in duration...D.No temporary sign shall exceed one hundred fifty (150) square feet in area...G.No person shall install or maintain...any portable sign in violation of this resolution. Any person who shall violate the provisions of this section shall be issued a citation and upon conviction be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be fined not more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for each offense, with each day of violation constituting a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 05 governs every temporary sign in the unincorporated county, and the code's Article 2 definitions section makes clear a temporary sign includes any cardboard, wallboard, or light-material sign, banner or display intended to be displayed for a short period of time only, which covers the hand-lettered directional signs used to advertise a yard sale. Subsection A bars fixing any temporary sign to a pole, tree, stone, fence, building, structure or other object within a street right-of-way, so a sign stapled to a utility pole or zip-tied to a stop-sign post at the entrance to a subdivision is a violation regardless of whose sale it advertises.
Subsection B separately bars placing a temporary sign at an intersection where it would obstruct clear vision or be confused with a traffic control device, or inside a required parking space. Subsection D caps the size of any temporary sign at 150 square feet, far larger than a typical yard sale sign needs to be. The frequency limit that governs how often a household may run the sale itself, three times a year, sits in the separate yard sale definition at Sec. 20; Sec. C's own two-occasions-per-year, 30-day cap is written for a business's temporary signage rather than a resident's sale.
Because a garage sale sign is, by definition, temporary, it is not exempt as a permanent identification sign and must come down once the sale ends; an owner who leaves one up, or who re-stakes it in the right-of-way, is subject to the same enforcement as any other illegally placed temporary sign.
Violations & Fines
Installing or maintaining a temporary sign in violation of Sec. 3.90.05, including one fixed to a pole or tree in the right-of-way or left up after the sale, is a citable misdemeanor under subsection G, punishable by a fine of up to $50 per offense, with each day of the violation counted as a separate offense. Under subsection H, a sign that isn't corrected within 24 hours of the owner being notified can be removed from the premises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I staple my garage sale sign to a stop sign or utility pole?
How big can a garage sale sign be?
What happens if I leave my sign up too long?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knox County
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