Garage sale and yard sale signs in Oakland County are regulated as 'temporary signs' by each city. Troy Sign Code §85.03.02 treats garage sale signs identically to political, holiday, and home-for-sale signs: max 6 sq ft per sign, 14 sq ft total per property, 42-inch height, on private property only with the owner's permission, and at least 20 feet from the road edge where there is no sidewalk. Signs in the public right-of-way are removed without notice.
Most Oakland County jurisdictions (Royal Oak, Troy, Farmington Hills, Birmingham, Southfield, Bloomfield Township) adopted content-neutral temporary-sign rules after Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015) eliminated content-based sign categories. Practical effect: a garage sale sign on a stake at the corner of Main and Maple, in the city right-of-way, will be removed by DPW or code enforcement regardless of how brief the sale. Royal Oak Chapter 607 (Signs) similarly limits temporary signs by size, height, and duration without singling out garage sales. Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills enforce strict on-private-property-only rules and routinely remove offending signs the morning of weekend sales. Some Oakland County cities also cap the number of garage sales per address per year — Troy, Royal Oak, and Ferndale typically allow 2–4 sales per address per calendar year, each not longer than 3 consecutive days. Many cities require a 'garage sale permit' from the clerk (often free) before any signage may be posted.
Signs in public right-of-way: removed without notice and disposed of. Repeated placement: civil infraction citation (Troy: typically $50 first offense, escalating with repeats). Selling without a required garage sale permit in cities that require one: separate $50–$100 fine. Signs that obstruct sight triangles or affixed to traffic-control devices violate MCL 257.674 (Motor Vehicle Code) and can lead to misdemeanor charges.
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