Why does the City of Long Beach regulate Garage Sales?
Due to the concerns of their constituents, City Council requested staff to address the issue of continuous and unpermitted garage sales and develop recommendations to address the community’s concerns. On October 15, 1998, staff from the departments of Financial Management, Police, and Development Services met with 21 representatives from various community groups in order to gain a citywide perspective on garage sales. The consensus from this group was that garage sales should not be prohibited; however, they identified numerous concerns: • A significant amount of noise is generated at garage sales. • The same individuals without permits are conducting numerous garage sales at the same location. • Individuals, who are actually in business, are paying residents to have garage sales at various locations to avoid having to obtain a commercial site and a business license. • New merchandise is being purchased for resale at garage sales. • Garage sales are being conducted on vacant lots. • Me
