Nashua, NH Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)

Nashua regulates garage-sale, yard-sale, and similar temporary signs under Chapter 190 (Land Use) Article X, primarily § 190-106 (Temporary sign). The section limits each premises to one ground or wall temporary sign, sets a maximum sign area of 32 square feet and a maximum height of 8 feet measured from grade, requires a minimum 10-foot setback from the public right-of-way and 25 feet from the point of intersecting street rights-of-way, and caps duration at 30 days. The section is explicit that no temporary sign shall be located in the public right-of-way or on public property — that bars the common practice of stapling yard-sale signs to telephone poles, traffic signs, or placing them in the planting strip between the sidewalk and curb. The Administrator (Nashua Planning Department / Code Enforcement) is authorized under the chapter's general administrative provisions to remove any temporary or portable sign erected or displayed upon or projecting into public property. Content neutrality applies under § 190-97 et seq.: any sign authorized in the chapter may contain non-commercial copy in lieu of any other copy, so a garage-sale message is treated identically to any other non-commercial message of equivalent physical character. No municipal permit fee is imposed for occasional on-premise garage-sale signs that comply with § 190-106. Off-premise directional signs (e.g., 'Yard Sale →' posted at a corner two blocks away) are not authorized as temporary signs under § 190-106 and may be removed by the Administrator. Enforcement is complaint-driven through Nashua Code Enforcement (603-589-3100).