Modesto, CA Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Signs allowed per sale
- 2 maximum
- Size limit
- 3 square feet each
- Height limit
- 5 feet each
- Permit/fee
- Exempt under §10-6.105(a)(1)(iv)
- Display window
- Only while sale is occurring
- Prohibited locations
- Street trees, utility poles, rights-of-way
Summary
Modesto lets a household hold a garage sale with no sign permit, but caps the signage under section 10-6.107(a): only two unlighted signs, three square feet each and five feet tall, displayed only while the sale is actually happening. Signs must sit on private property with the owner's consent and can never be attached to a street tree, utility pole, or placed in the public right-of-way.
(x)Garage sale sign. A sign that is used to advertise the sale of used or secondhand goods or merchandise at dwellings and on residentially zoned property; these sales may also be known as patio sales, yard sales, etc. ...(iv)Garage sale signs, in compliance with Section 10-6.107;... Garage sale (for residential uses): 2 per garage sale; 3 sf each; 5 ft each; Shall be: unlighted; displayed only when sale is actually being conducted; and only installed on private property with the consent of the owner. These signs shall not be placed on street trees, utility poles, or otherwise within public rights-of-way.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 71).
Full Breakdown
102(x) limits a garage sale sign to advertising the sale of used or secondhand goods at dwellings on residentially zoned property, covering what residents also call patio sales or yard sales. 1-1, the residential and office zone sign table, lists garage sale signs among the temporary sign types allowed in the R-1, R-2, R-3 and P-O zones; the commercial and industrial table has no garage sale row, so the exemption does not extend to a business. 107 still controls. The signs must be unlighted, can be displayed only for the actual duration of the sale rather than left up before or after, and require the consent of the property owner where they are installed. 110(d) bars a sign from obstructing a driver's vision at a street intersection or driveway.
Violations & Fines
Because garage sale signs are exempt only from the permit fee and not from the article's other rules, exceeding the two-sign or three-square-foot limit, leaving a sign up outside the sale hours, or placing one in the right-of-way or on a utility pole makes the sign a violation of section 10-6.103, enforced by the Chief Building Official and Director; section 10-6.110 makes placing a nonconforming sign unlawful and punishable as an infraction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a garage sale sign in Modesto?
How many garage sale signs can I put up in Modesto?
Can I put a garage sale sign on a utility pole or street tree?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Modesto
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