Midland, TX Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit needed
- No, exempt under § 11-7a-5(P)
- Removal deadline
- Within 1 day after the sale
- Placement rule
- Private property only; no public property or utility poles
- Defined by
- Midland Code § 6-1-22 (garage sale definition)
- Enforcement notice
- 72-hour written removal notice, § 11-7a-13
- Redemption fee
- $50 hauling + $10/day storage if impounded
Summary
Midland exempts temporary garage sale signs from its sign permit process, but only on the condition that they come down within one day of the sale and never go on public property or utility poles.
(P)Temporary signs advertising garage sales as defined in Section 6-1-22 of the City Code, provided that such signs shall be removed within one day following the sale and shall not be placed on public property or utility poles.(Q)Traffic or street signs, legal notices, public utilities, railroad crossing signs, danger, and such emergency, temporary or non-advertising signs as approved by the City of Midland, may be located in the public right-of-way.(R)Window signs of a temporary nature only.(S)Wall decorations and works of art that do not include a commercial message. (Ordinance 8648, sec. 1, adopted 6/24/2008; Ordinance 9382, sec. 1, adopted 1/13/15)
Sec. 11-7a-6. - Master sign plan.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 1 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Garage sale signs are one of the listed exemptions from the permit requirement in the City's outdoor sign chapter. " That one-day removal clock and the ban on public property placement are the only conditions attached to the exemption; because the sign is exempt under § 11-7a-5, it does not need the permit, bond, or license otherwise required by § 11-7a-4 for temporary signs, and it does not count against the sign-count or size limits that apply to permitted temporary signs under § 11-7a-11. All exempt signs, including garage sale signs, must still be located on private property and comply with the Chapter's other general requirements, per the introductory language of § 11-7a-5.
Signs that stay up past the one-day post-sale limit, or that are staked into a City right-of-way, median, or utility pole, lose the exemption and become subject to the Chapter's normal enforcement path: a written notice to remove within 72 hours under § 11-7a-13, followed by City impoundment if the deadline is missed.
Violations & Fines
A garage sale sign left up more than one day after the sale, or placed on public property or a utility pole, forfeits the § 11-7a-5(P) exemption and is treated as an unpermitted sign in violation of the Chapter. The building official gives 72 hours' written notice to remove it (§ 11-7a-13); an unremoved sign can be impounded and requires a $50.00 hauling fee plus $10.00 per day of storage to redeem, in addition to any penalty under Chapter 1-3 as referenced in § 11-7a-14.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a garage sale sign in Midland, Texas?
How long can a garage sale sign stay up in Midland?
Can I put a garage sale sign on a utility pole or street median in Midland?
What happens if my garage sale sign is left up too long or on public land?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Midland
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