It is the intent and purpose of the City Council in adopting this chapter to regulate those activities which, in the most technical sense, have business or commercial characteristics but which, because of the manner in which they are conducted or the purposes for which they are being operated, are truly noncommercial in nature. Said regulations are in-tended to prevent the expansion of such noncommercial operations into truly commercial operations and to regulate the methods of conducting the activity so that it will be confined to a noncommercial type of operation. It is the purpose of this chapter to prevent such activities from unfairly competing with licensed revenue-producing commercial and business enterprises; to prevent the conduct of commercial enterprises upon other than commercially zoned property; and to curb the evasion of business license fees.
(Ord. 626 § 1, 1984)
"Garage sale,"
for the purposes of this chapter, means a sale conducted by an individual homeowner, apartment dweller or occupant of a dwelling unit, for the purpose of disposing of unwanted or surplus household furnishings or other personalty, usually conducted in a garage in a residential zone and for which no inventory is kept and no sales tax is paid on the transactions thus carried out. It may, at times, be conducted by a combination of residential dwellers at a single location, and may take on the nature and character of a rummage sale or fundraising event for civic or charitable purposes. Such garage sales shall not extend beyond a period of five calendar days for any one sale. The term "garage sale" is not limited to sales conducted in the garage, but encompasses household sales conducted on any portion of the premises.
(Ord. 626 § 1, 1984)
A. 
Any resident or group of residents, organization or club of the City may conduct a garage sale, as defined in this chapter; provided, however, that a license shall first have been obtained from the City.
B. 
The application for license shall request the following information:
1. 
The name and address of the person or persons wishing to hold the garage sale;
2. 
The location where the sale shall be conducted, including a general designation of the area of the premises where the actual sale is to be carried out;
3. 
A general description of the property offered for sale;
4. 
The dates and time period when the sale shall be conducted; and
5. 
An affidavit or declaration, under penalty of perjury, that the person or persons conducting the sale are the owners of the property offered for sale; that all of the goods are secondhand and that no more than one previous such garage sale has been held within the calendar year.
C. 
No more than two garage sales may be conducted by the same person or persons, or at the same place within the same calendar year. A garage sale license shall be limited to a period of five consecutive days per sale. All personalty and furnishings must be the property of those conducting the sale, and must be used goods. The license may be secured either at the office of the Administrative Services Director or by telephoning the Administrative Services Director, who will mail the appropriate form to the party so requesting, and who shall, in turn, mail the completed application back to the office of the Administrative Services Director.
(Ord. 626 § 1, 1984; Ord. 2003-998 § 16; Ord. 2012-1133 § 22)
It is unlawful for any person to exchange, barter, trade or sell at a garage sale the following items of personal property: firearms, ammunition, explosives, animals and livestock, any item of personal property from which the serial number or identifying number has been removed, and any and all other items of personal property which may be prohibited from being exchanged, bartered, traded or sold by ordinance or resolution of the City, the County of San Diego, or the State of California.
(Ord. 626 § 1, 1984)
No signs advertising garage sales are allowed, except that there may be one unlighted sign, not exceeding six square feet in area, located on the premises of the sale. Such sign shall be of a temporary nature, displayed not more than one week in advance of the sale, and removed not more than two days after the conclusion of the sale.
(Ord. 626 § 1, 1984)