Garage Sales Regulations

In the case of garage sales, lawn sales, and other similar temporary sales to be held at private homes, churches and other places of worship, community centers, or other nonprofit residentially zoned institutions, the County Manager or designee may issue one two-day permit for such events during each six-month period. Such permit may include the use of temporary signs located on the property where the sale is being held, limited to a maximum of two signs, no greater than four square feet each. No signs shall be placed in any public rights-way. If the temporary use is not discontinued upon expiration of the permit, it shall be considered a violation of this Land Development Code (LDC) and shall be subject to the penalties herein. 

The Collier County Sign Code prohibits balloons, inflatable, streamers, pennants, and other wind signs, as well as flashing lights or rotating displays. Signs may not be attached to any utility pole, traffic control sign, or anything in the right-of-way.

Go to Collier County Land Development to review the garage sales and signs code.

Garage Sale Permit applications are now electronic. You may come to the following locations for assistance in completing an online application. 

*Effective 1/24/22, garage sale permits have gone electronic. You may apply for and obtain a garage sale permit through our portal. Please click this link https://cvportal.colliercountyfl.gov/cityviewweb to register and apply for a garage sale permit. The following link provided is a guide to assist navigating the garage sale application https://www.colliercountyfl.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/99254. 

Collier County Government
310 Alachua Street Immokalee
Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Collier County Code Enforcement Office
2800 N. Horseshoe Drive
Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 What is a garage sale?   Garage sale means a sale held anywhere on any residential premises for the purpose of disposing of miscellaneous personal articles (as furniture, tools, toys, clothing, etc.) typically found in a residential household or garage, by the resident of the premises where the sale is held.

Can I sell animals?   The sale of any animals is prohibited, and it may constitute a land use violation. Please contact Domestic Animal Services at (239)252-PETS for Non-Commercial Breeder requirements.

Why do I have to obtain a garage sale permit? Collier County Land Development Code requires a permit at no cost for garage sales held in residentially zoned areas of the county. All garage sales, lawn sales, and other similar temporary sales to be held at a private home, churches, and other places of worship, community centers, or other nonprofit residentially zoned institutions must have a garage sale permit.

How much does a garage sale permit cost? There is no cost for a garage sale permit.

How long is the garage sale permit good for? The permit is good for 2 consecutive days as indicated on the approved permit.

Where can I place my garage sale signs? You may place 2 temporary garage sale signs on your property where the sale is being conducted. Signs should not exceed 4 square feet in area or 3 feet in height. No signs can be placed in the right of way. (The right of way is usually behind any swale, sidewalk or streetlight adjacent to your property.)

My community would like to hold a collective garage sale, what do we need to submit with our permit?  For community garage sales, we will need the address for the clubhouse. For safety precautions, if your community has issues with ingress/egress or you expect a large turnout, it is suggested that you contact the sheriff’s office to hire someone to assist with directing traffic so that parking violations are not created in your community during the sale.

If my community has deed restrictions or homeowners' covenants, can I still obtain a garage sale permit? Code Enforcement does not enforce or track community deed restrictions or Home Owner’s Association (HOA) covenants. Although you may be able to obtain a permit from the county, it is suggested that you check your community’s deed restrictions or covenants. The more restrictive of these limitations would apply regarding garage sales in your community. Code Enforcement is responsible to provide garage sale permits based on county codes. Any more restrictive deed requirements or HOA covenants are enforced by the community’s regulation authority.

How do I cancel or reschedule my garage sale? Please call the Code Enforcement at (239) 252-2440 to cancel or reschedule a garage sale. Most garage sales occur on the weekend when we do not have office staff available. To request cancellation, leave the property address and owner name on voicemail, and staff will make note on the records that the permit was cancelled for that particular date/property/owner. If there is no request to cancel, records will indicate that there was a garage sale at the property. If there is no request to reschedule, you may be found in violation of county codes for holding a garage sale on dates that were not approved on your permit.

Are garage sale permits approved per person or per address? The permit is approved by the address and owner. The 2-day permit is limited to one during each 6-month period. However, if there is a new property owner, they would have the opportunity to obtain 2 permits (6 months apart) whether or not the previous owner had obtained a permit in the past 6 months.

What if I don’t get a permit? A garage sale permit is required, failure to obtaining the free permit would be a violation of county codes.