Cathedral City Municipal Code Ch. 5.35 Garage Sales

No person shall conduct a garage sale without having first received a garage sale permit approval from the fire department.

(Ord. 413 § 2, 1995)

"Garage sale," as used in this chapter, shall include garage sales, yard sales, patio sales and other similar sales in a residential district for the purpose of offering for sale household or personal goods of the occupant of the premises where such sale is permitted.

(Ord. 413 § 2, 1995)

The commercial sale of goods is prohibited. Commercial sale includes goods purchased elsewhere with the specific intent to be resold at a garage sale and items manufactured or food items grown, specifically for sale at a garage sale.

(Ord. 413 § 2, 1995)

Application for approval of a garage sale permit shall be made to the code compliance division of the city fire department on forms provided by the division. An application fee shall be paid to the city in an amount to be established by the city council.

(Ord. 413 § 2, 1995; Ord. 776 § 3, 2016)

A maximum of four garage sale permits each calendar year may be granted for any one location. A minimum of ninety days shall elapse between the issuance of any two garage sale permits at the same location. Each garage sale permit granted under this chapter shall be active for forty-eight hours, starting at seven a.m. on the date the garage sale is designated to begin and expiring forty-eight hours thereafter. The garage sale permit shall be conspicuously posted during all hours of operation so as to be viewable from the street.

(Ord. 413 § 2, 1995)

Persons granted a garage sale permit shall comply with the garage sale sign policy of the city fire department.

(Ord. 413 § 2, 1995)

A violation of Section 5.35.010, 5.35.030 or 5.35.060 of this chapter by any person responsible for committing, causing or maintaining such violation shall constitute a public nuisance which shall be subject to the provisions, including, but not limited to, the imposition of administrative fines, set forth in Chapter 13.80.

(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)

A violation of Section 5.35.010, 5.35.030 or 5.35.060 of this chapter by any person responsible for committing, causing or maintaining such violation shall constitute an infraction violation which shall be subject to the provisions set forth in Chapter 13.65, including, but not limited to, the imposition of any and all criminal penalties set forth therein.

(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)

Any person convicted of an infraction shall, for each separate violation of this chapter, be subject to: (a) a fine in an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars for a first conviction of an offense; (b) a fine in an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars for a second conviction of the same offense within a twelve-month period of the date of the first offense; and (c) a fine in an amount not to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars for the third conviction of the same offense within a twelve-month period of the date of the first offense. The fine for a fourth and subsequent convictions of the same offense within a twelve-month period of the date of the first offense shall be one thousand dollars.

(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)

In lieu of issuing an infraction citation, the city may issue an administrative citation, pursuant to Chapter 13.58, to any person responsible for committing, causing or maintaining a violation of Section 5.35.010, 5.35.030 or 5.35.060 of this chapter. Nothing in this section shall preclude the city from also issuing an infraction citation upon the occurrence of the same offense on a separate day.

(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)

Note: Former § 5.35.130, Administrative fine, adopted by Ord. 506 was repealed by Ord. 892, 10/22/2025.

A violation of Section 5.35.010, 5.35.030 or 5.35.060 of this chapter by the holder of a validly issued city permit and/or city license validly issued pursuant to this or any other chapter shall constitute grounds for modification, suspension and/or revocation of said city permit and/or city license pursuant to the provisions set forth in Chapter 13.150.

(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)

Nothing in this chapter shall preclude the city from pursuing the remedies provided by Chapter 13.140, including, but not limited to, denial or revocation of certificates of occupancy, issuance of stop work orders and injunctive relief.

(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)