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

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

Key Facts

Permit
Exempt as a temporary sign if within limits
Display area cap (R/A/OB)
10 sq ft total per parcel
Height cap
6 feet
Annual display cap
180 days per calendar year per parcel
Right-of-way placement
Only in curb-to-sidewalk planting strip
Removal liability
Owner/lessee of the advertised property

Summary

Sacramento treats a garage- or yard-sale sign as a permit-exempt "temporary sign": in residential, agricultural and open-space/business (R, A, OB) zones the total display area of all temporary signs on a parcel is capped at 10 square feet, height at 6 feet, and display at 180 days per calendar year, with strict placement limits.

Temporary signs are allowed on any developed or undeveloped parcel in any R, A, or OB zone so long as the cumulative display area of all temporary signs on the parcel does not exceed ten (10) square feet... a temporary sign may not display general advertising, may not be illuminated, may not be a roof sign, may not exceed six feet in height, and may not be displayed on a parcel more than a total of one hundred eighty (180) days in a calendar year. ...For purposes of this section, the following persons are responsible for placing a sign and to pay removal costs: ...7. The owner, or lessee if the property is leased, of property used for a yard or garage sale advertised on the sign.

Source: Sacramento City Code Ch. 15.148 - SignsView official code

Full Breakdown

030) as long as they stay within set limits. On a residential (R), agricultural (A), or open-space/business (OB) zoned parcel, the cumulative display area of every temporary sign on that parcel cannot exceed ten square feet; the same subsection caps commercial/manufacturing-zone parcels (SC, HC, C, M) at fifty square feet. A temporary sign may not carry general advertising, may not be illuminated, may not be a roof sign, may not exceed six feet in height, and may not be displayed on a parcel for more than a total of 180 days in a calendar year, so a household running several weekend sales must track cumulative days, not just each individual sale.

620 (traffic-hazard signs), and it may be staked in the ground, tacked to a legally existing fence or structure, or taped to a window. 630 names the person responsible if a garage- or yard-sale sign ends up illegally posted on public or utility property: subsection (C)(7) identifies "the owner, or lessee if the property is leased, of property used for a yard or garage sale advertised on the sign" as liable for the city's removal costs, unless that person proves they did not cause, authorize, or approve the posting.

Violations & Fines

Posting a garage-sale sign that exceeds the parcel's cumulative display-area, height, or 180-day limit, or placing it in the public right-of-way outside the permitted planting strip, or on a curb, post, hydrant, bridge, or tree, makes it subject to removal under Sections 15.148.630 and 15.148.820, with removal costs billed to the property owner or lessee. Any sign erected in violation of Chapter 15.148 is a public nuisance under Section 15.148.1160, and the city attorney may sue to enjoin the violation; violating the chapter is also charged as an infraction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit for a garage-sale sign in Sacramento?
No. City Code § 15.148.600(E) treats it as an exempt temporary sign, so no sign permit under § 15.148.030 is required, as long as the sign stays within the size, height, illumination, and 180-day display limits set for temporary signs in your zone.
How big can my garage-sale sign be?
In residential, agricultural, or open-space/business zones, the combined display area of all temporary signs on the parcel, including your garage-sale sign, cannot exceed 10 square feet, per § 15.148.600(E)(1)(a). Commercial and manufacturing-zoned parcels get a 50-square-foot cumulative cap instead.
Can I stake a garage-sale sign in the street planting strip?
Only in the specific strip between the curb face and the street-side edge of the sidewalk, and only if it doesn't obstruct intersection visibility, damage protected trees, or create a traffic hazard, per § 15.148.600(E)(3). Signs on curbs, sidewalks, posts, poles, hydrants, or trees themselves are prohibited under § 15.148.630(A).
Who pays if the city removes my garage-sale sign?
Section 15.148.630(C)(7) makes the owner, or the lessee if the property is leased, of the property advertised for the yard or garage sale liable for the city's removal costs, unless they can show they did not cause, authorize, or approve the sign's illegal posting.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Sacramento

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