Suffolk treats garage-sale signs as temporary yard signs: no permit needed, up to 8 square feet and 4 feet tall on residential property. Signs may not be placed in the public right-of-way or on utility poles, so directional signs staked at intersections are removed.
Under the Unified Development Ordinance §31-714, a garage-sale sign is a temporary yard sign — "a temporary sign placed upon or supported by the ground independently of any other structure" — and needs no permit. On residential property in the RR through RU-12 districts it may be up to 8 square feet and 4 feet tall, displayed for no more than 90 days, far longer than any sale needs. The real limit is placement off your lot: the ordinance says temporary signs shall not be allowed in the public right-of-way and shall not be attached to any public property, including utility poles and street lights, unless erected by a government agency.
Garage-sale signs staked in the public right-of-way, at intersections, or on utility poles are removed by the city without notice. Oversized signs or signs left up past 90 days draw a zoning-enforcement citation.
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See how Suffolk's garage sale signs rules stack up against other locations.
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