Los Banos, CA Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- On-site signs
- 1 maximum, at the sale address
- Off-site signs
- 2 maximum, owner's written permission required
- Off-site sign size
- 6 sq. ft. maximum each
- Right-of-way
- No signs in ROW or on utility poles
- Removal deadline
- Within 24 hours of sale's end
- Enforcement
- City may remove noncompliant signs directly
Summary
Los Banos limits a garage sale to one on-site sign plus two off-site signs under six square feet under Municipal Code § 9-3.3803(b)(5)(E). Off-site signs need the property owner's written permission, none may sit in the right-of-way, and every sign must come down within 24 hours of the sale.
All signs used in connection with advertising a garage sale shall comply with the following standards. The City is authorized to remove garage sale signs that are not in compliance with the following standards: (i) No more than one sign shall be posted on the premises of the garage sale. (ii) No more than two freestanding signs may be posted off-site, subject to the written permission of the property owner on whose property the sign may be placed. Each off-site sign shall not exceed six square feet in area. No sign shall be placed in the public right-of-way or affixed to utility poles, street sign poles or any public facilities. (iii) All signs shall be removed within 24 hours of the conclusion of the garage sale.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4356507; v3 updated 2025-03-05).
Full Breakdown
3803(b)(5)(E), and the City treats sign compliance as a condition of the sale rather than a separate permit. The rule allows only one sign posted on the premises where the sale is actually happening. A resident can also post up to two additional freestanding signs off-site, but only with the written permission of the property owner where each sign is placed, and each of those off-site signs is capped at six square feet in area. No sign, on-site or off, may be placed in the public right-of-way or affixed to utility poles, street sign poles, or any other public facility, reaching the common practice of zip-tying a sign to a stop sign post or utility pole at a nearby intersection.
Every sign, whether on the sale property or off-site, has to come down within 24 hours after the sale ends. The Community and Economic Development Department, which handles the underlying sale registration, is also named in the code as authorized to remove noncompliant garage sale signs directly, rather than waiting for a separate nuisance abatement process. 3810 penalty provision that covers the rest of Article 38: it is unlawful and a public nuisance, chargeable as an infraction or misdemeanor, with administrative penalties available under Title 4, Chapter 11 as well.
Violations & Fines
The City is expressly authorized to remove garage sale signs that do not meet the § 9-3.3803(b)(5)(E) standards, on top of any citation. Because the sign rule is part of Article 38, a violation is unlawful and a public nuisance under § 9-3.3810, chargeable as an infraction or misdemeanor with penalties capped by Government Code § 36901, plus possible administrative penalties under Title 4, Chapter 11.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many garage sale signs can I put up in Los Banos?
Can I put a garage sale sign on a stop sign or utility pole?
When do I have to take my garage sale signs down?
What happens if my garage sale sign doesn't meet the size or placement rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Banos
California rules heatmap·Compare Los Banos to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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