Garage/Yard Sales

Rules and Regulations

Permits for garage/yard sales are not required and with the exception of garage/yard sale signage, they are not regulated by the zoning ordinance. However, when a use is not defined in the zoning ordinance Manheim Township searches from the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition for the definition. Therefore, based on this definition, the Planning and Zoning Department considers garage/yard sales as the sale of used household or personal articles sold from the sellers own residential premise from time to time. The items offered for sale must be from the same household and residential premise from which they are sold.

If a person continually sells items from their residential property day after day, it would be considered operating a retail sales business from the property, and would be in violation of the zoning ordinance.

Garage/yard sales are not considered retail sales unless they bring items for sale from off-premise to sell at the property and/or continually sell items day after day from the residential property.

Manheim Township Police Department does not regulate garage sales. However, any traffic concerns should be directed to the Manheim Township Police Department.

Garage Sale/Yard Sale Signage

Article 18 of the Manheim Township Zoning Ordinance regulates garage/yard sale signs as follows:

  • One (1) on-premise garage/yard sale sign is permitted.
  • Garage/yard sale signs cannot be larger than six square feet and may be placed no more than 48 hours before the sale and must be removed before the end of the day of the sale. Signs which are not removed within the time limit may be removed and impounded by the Township and the Township may recover a fee equal to the cost of removal and storage.
  • A maximum of two off-premise garage/yard sale signs with a maximum of four square feet each are permitted per garage/yard sale. Off-premise garage/yard sale signs shall only be posted for the day of the sale.
  • Garage/yard sale signs shall not be attached to any utility poles, signal poles, street signs, trees or fire hydrants.
  • Garage/yard sales signs shall not obstruct a driver's vision on adjacent roadways.