Troy, NY Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)

Section 285-95(H) of the Troy City Code is the placement and removal rule for garage sale signs in the City of Troy, Rensselaer County, New York. It sits in the list of signs that do not require a request for or issuance of a work permit, which otherwise applies to any new or altered sign under § 285-94. A garage sale sign is exempt and may be displayed in any zone on any property at which the sale is to be conducted, as long as three conditions are obeyed.

First, the sign shall not be illuminated and shall not exceed eight square feet in area. Section 285-97(D) says sign area is measured as the entire area within a continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme limits of the message, together with any frame that is an integral part of the display.

Second, the sign may not be displayed more than three calendar days before the sale. It must be removed upon completion of the sale. It also may not be displayed for more than seven consecutive days nor more than 10 calendar days per year.

Third, the sign must be displayed only upon the property at which the garage sale is being conducted. That rules out directional signs at corners or on neighbors' lots for a garage sale. Real estate signs fall under a separate exemption, § 285-95(F), which allows for-sale signs up to eight square feet, two per property.

The Director of Code Enforcement enforces the sign article. Under § 285-96(B) the Director can deliver a written order for removal of a sign maintained in violation of the chapter and sets the time to comply. For signs that are unsafe the owner has until 5:00 p.m. of the following calendar day. A person aggrieved by a Director decision appeals only to the Troy Zoning Board of Appeals under § 285-97(B).