Every year, especially for the North Liberty Citywide Garage Sales, we get special permission from the city to temporarily waive parts of the City of North Liberty’s sign ordinance relating to garage sales.
There are still parts of the ordinance that apply on citywide weekend, and it’s important to know the rules so your signs don’t get taken by the NL Sign Police (yes, that’s a thing, and it does happen). If they take them, you have to contact the city to get them back, then drive down to some city building to fetch them. Not cool, dude.
On your own property: 48 hours before your sale.
Off of your own property: the morning of your sale.
You must remove them as soon as your sale closes on its final day. This is the least we can do for the city’s waiving of most of the sign ordinance, so please do your part.
DO consider placing a sign at the nearest major intersection to your house, and at every turn from there to your house.
DO place a sign on your own property. I like to attach something eye-catching, like streamers.
DON’T tape or attach them to phone poles, sign poles, or any other kind of pole that is already present.
DON’T place them in the landscaped areas of the intersections. The landscaped area of the intersections is where the plants, trees, and flowers have been planted.
The City of North Liberty sign ordinance requires that signs located off the property where the sale is located cannot be handmade.
Design your own signs and have them printed professionally. Someplace like Alphagraphics or Zephyr can print signs.
Buy signs. Easier, faster, and arguably cheaper.
You can create a handmade garage sale sign for your own property, so long as it follows the size restrictions below.
No larger than 48″ x 48″. The off-property signs that you purchase will likely be significantly smaller than that.
What should be on your sign?
The handmade signs you make for your own property can be as fun as you want them to be. I’ve seen some pretty funny ones, like these.
Use a black Sharpie and make your letters/numbers as thick as possible.
No balloons, roof signs, swinging signs, banners or pennants are permitted.
A permit is not required for garage sale signs.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program. That means if you click the links above and buy something, we’ll get a little cash money. Thanks!