Williamson County, TN Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance § 18.08(B)
- Max signs per residential lot
- Five at any given time
- Combined sign area cap
- 30 square feet total
- Single sign area cap
- 16 square feet
- Max height
- 6 feet
- Annual display window
- 60 days per 12-month period
Summary
Garage sale signs count as temporary, non-commercial residential signs under Section 18.08(B) of the Zoning Ordinance. A residential lot may display up to five such signs at once, with a combined area cap of 30 square feet, no single sign over 16 square feet, a 6-foot height limit, and a 60-day-per-year display window.
(1) Temporary, freestanding signs that contain non-commercial messages may be posted on any residential lot at any given time. (2) This category of signs includes, but is not limited to, real estate or auction signs, political preference signs, garage sale signs, baby announcements, lost pet signs, social/special event announcements, or any other non-commercial messages. (3) There shall be a maximum of five temporary, noncommercial message signs, per lot, at any given time. (4) The total sign area of all temporary signs shall not exceed 30 square feet and no single sign shall exceed 16 square feet in sign area. The maximum height of any temporary sign shall be six feet. ... (6) Except as noted in Section 18.08:(B)(5) above, all other signs may be displayed for a period not to exceed 60 days in any 12-month period.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
08(A) starts by barring all temporary signs from any local or state right-of-way unless TDOT authorizes state right-of-way placement. 08(B) then governs residential properties: freestanding, non-commercial temporary signs may go up on any residential lot at any time, and the code expressly lists garage sale signs alongside real estate signs, political preference signs, baby announcements, lost pet signs and social or special-event announcements as the covered category. The lot-wide cap is five temporary non-commercial signs at once, subsection (B)(3), with the combined area of all of them capped at 30 square feet and no individual sign exceeding 16 square feet, subsection (B)(4); maximum height for any of these signs is six feet.
Subsection (B)(6) sets the display window: apart from construction signs, which may stay up for the duration of a project, and real estate/auction or event signs, which carry their own 48-hour removal clock after closing or the event, all other temporary residential signs, including garage sale signs, may be displayed for no more than 60 days in any rolling 12-month period. 07. 08(C), capped at five non-commercial signs, 30 square feet total, 16 square feet each, and the same 60-day limit.
Violations & Fines
A garage sale sign left up past the 60-day annual limit, exceeding five signs on the lot, over 16 square feet individually, over 30 square feet combined, or taller than six feet violates Section 18.08 and is a violation of the Ordinance under Article 22.03. The Codes Compliance Director may remove an illegal sign in a right-of-way without notice as litter, and a violator is guilty of a misdemeanor fined $10 to $50 per offense under Tenn. Code Ann. § 13-7-111, with each day of the violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many garage sale signs can I put up on my property in Williamson County?
How long can a garage sale sign stay up?
Do I need a permit for a garage sale sign?
Can I put my garage sale sign at the street corner right-of-way?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Williamson County
Compare Williamson County to another location·View the Tennessee sign regulations overview
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