Warm Weather Brings Yard Sales and Restrictions

Warmer spring weather across the Upper Cumberland brings with it the perfect opportunity for yard and garage sales.

Cookeville City Codes Director Jeff Littrell reminds residents to pick up a yard sale permit before they begin selling.

“You can have three per year with 30 days between each sale,” Littrell said. “Read the handout that comes with [the permit] and know that you can’t put yard sale signs on telephone poles, utility poles, stop signs, or anything like that. You’re really not supposed to have any, but I know people still put them out. Pick them up after you’re done so we don’t have to have people go around and pick up trash and things that are left over.”

Cookeville residents are required to pay a $2 fee before hosting any yard sale.

Sparta city residents, on the other hand, are not required to have permits or pay fees for yard sales. However, City Administrator Chris Dorsey also asks residents to remove their signs once the sale has finished.

“We’ve seen it come up just a few times [this year] but with the warmer weather, we’ll have more yard sales,” Dorsey said. “We hope people do well with those, but we would just hope that if they do take the time to put a sign up that they would please go take it down when they were done. That’s the biggest problem we have with yard sales here.”

Crossville City Building Inspector Carl Curley said residents are required to notify the city of any yard sale.

“The yard sale can only last three days, and the permit can be issued five times a year per property,” Curley said. “So inside the city limits, there is a permit. It’s at no cost, it is a free permit, you just have to let us know.”

Crossville residents are asked to have at least one week in between sales and can even request an extra sale in the event of a move.

Contact your local city administrator or codes director for yard sale requirements and restrictions.