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Merced, CA Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Off-site signs
need owner permission
Never allowed
right-of-way, poles, signals
Removal deadline
24 hours after sale
Cleanup cost
billed to poster
Penalty
misdemeanor, Sec. 9.54.030

Summary

Garage sale signs in Merced can go on someone else's property only with the owner's permission, can never be placed in the public right-of-way or on public property like utility poles and traffic signals, and must come down within 24 hours after the sale ends under Section 9.54.020.C.

Signage: Any sign used in connection with advertising a garage sale shall comply with the following standards:1.With property owner permission, signs may be posted on property other than the site of the garage sale.2.No sign advertising a garage sale shall be in the public right-of-way or on public property, including, but not limited to, electrical poles and traffic signals.3.Signs shall be removed within twenty-four (24) hours after the conclusion of the sale.4.If the city or its authorized agent is required to remove garage sale signs which are not in compliance with 2 or 3 above, then any person responsible for posting the sign shall be assessed the costs of the cleanup and removal.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 - 1-26).

Full Breakdown

54's garage sale requirements, sets four signage standards. First, a sign advertising a garage sale may be posted on property other than the sale site itself, but only with that property owner's permission. Second, no sign may be placed in the public right-of-way or on public property, and the code specifically calls out electrical poles and traffic signals as prohibited locations, closing off the most common places sellers are tempted to use. Third, every sign must come down within 24 hours after the sale concludes, so a sign put up for a Saturday sale cannot linger through the following week.

The fourth standard has teeth: if the city or its authorized agent has to remove a garage sale sign because it was never allowed on public property or right-of-way, or because it was left up past the 24-hour removal deadline, the person responsible for posting it is billed for the cost of that cleanup and removal. 54's requirements, so an uncollected sign violation can carry both a municipal charge and a billed cleanup cost. B's separate ban on displaying sale items in the right-of-way follows the same public-space logic as the sign rule.

Violations & Fines

Posting a garage sale sign on public property, a utility pole, or a traffic signal, or leaving one up more than 24 hours after the sale ends, is a misdemeanor under Section 9.54.030, and Section 9.54.020.C.4 separately bills the person who posted it for the city's cost of removing it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put my garage sale sign on a utility pole in Merced?
No. Section 9.54.020.C specifically bars placing a garage sale sign on public property, including electrical poles and traffic signals, or anywhere else in the public right-of-way, so the sign has to go on private property, and even then only with that property owner's permission if it is not your own.
How long can I leave my garage sale sign up?
Signs must be removed within 24 hours after the garage sale concludes under Section 9.54.020.C. Leaving one up longer risks the city removing it and billing the person who posted it for the cost of that cleanup, on top of the general misdemeanor penalty for chapter violations.
What happens if the city has to remove my garage sale sign?
Section 9.54.020.C.4 makes the person who posted a noncompliant sign responsible for the city's cost of removal and cleanup, on top of the general misdemeanor penalty in Section 9.54.030 that applies to Chapter 9.54 violations.

Sources & Official References

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