Jefferson County, MO Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- No
- Size limit
- 12 square feet
- Earliest posting
- Sunrise, first day of sale
- Must be removed
- Sunset, second day of sale
- Right-of-way signs
- Removable by County without notice
Summary
Jefferson County lets residents post yard and garage sale signs without a permit, but caps them at twelve square feet and limits their display window: no earlier than sunrise on the sale's first day, and gone by sunset on its second day.
Yard and garage sale signs that do not exceed twelve (12) square feet in area. Such signs shall not be erected prior to sunrise of the first (1st) day of the event and shall be removed no later than sunset of the second (2nd) day of the event.
Full Breakdown
4250, Signs Not Requiring A Permit, part of Article XIII, Signs and Street Graphics, adopted April 2, 2008 and last amended by Ordinance No. 16-0100 on January 4, 2016. Subsection (A)(4) caps a yard or garage sale sign at twelve (12) square feet in area, the same size ceiling the section applies to real-estate signs. The timing window is strict: the sign cannot go up before sunrise of the first day of the sale and must come down by sunset of the second day, so a weekend sale effectively allows the sign to stand for roughly 36 hours.
4270 and the ban on signs that resemble traffic-control devices. 4480 lets the County take down any sign on a County-maintained street right-of-way without notice, regardless of size or permit status, which reaches a garage sale sign staked too close to the road shoulder. This section governs unincorporated Jefferson County; the incorporated cities set their own sign codes for the same kind of temporary sale signage.
Violations & Fines
A garage sale sign left up past sunset of the second sale day, oversized beyond twelve square feet, or planted in the County road right-of-way can be removed by the County without notice under Section 400.4480. Beyond removal, sign violations fall under the UDO's general enforcement provisions in Sections 400.4470 and 400.140, exposing a violator to a misdemeanor fine of up to $1,000, up to a year in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a garage sale sign in Jefferson County?
How long can my garage sale sign stay up?
Can the county remove my sign if I stake it near the road?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jefferson County
Compare Jefferson County to another location·View the Missouri sign regulations overview
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