McAllen Garage Sale Permit Guide

Last reviewed: October 2026

Every rule on this page comes from the City of McAllen's own garage sale permit application, which reprints the city ordinance (Sec. 86-91 and 86-92). For the step-by-step story of getting your first permit, see our permit walkthrough on the blog.

Which sales need a permit

Any sale of used items or personal belongings at a home in McAllen needs a city permit. That includes garage sales, porch sales, moving sales, estate sales and non-profit sales held at a residence. The owner or occupant of the home applies, and the permit has to be in hand before the sale starts.

The rules, at a glance

• Cost: $20 per permit (as of October 2026).
• How many: Up to three permits per calendar year.
• How long: Each permit covers up to three days in a row.
• Spacing: Permits for the same address must be at least 30 days apart.
• What you can sell: Only used items and personal belongings.
• Signs: One sign, on the property where the sale is held. No other signs are allowed, so nothing on corners, poles, medians or a neighbor's yard.

Holding a sale without a permit is against city code, and violations can bring a citation.

Selling with your neighbors

You can bring your things to a neighbor's permitted sale. It happens under their permit and counts toward their address's limits. For a street-wide event where every household sells from its own home, each home gets its own permit. See our guide to organizing a neighborhood sale.

How to apply

Apply online through the City of McAllen's permit portal, and give yourself a few days before your sale.

Apply at onlinepermits.mcallen.net

Questions about your permit? Call the city's Health & Code Enforcement department at (956) 681-1900.

After your permit is approved

Once the city issues your permit, McAllenGarageSales.com imports it automatically. Our system checks the city's permit records at least twice a day, and your sale typically appears on the map within hours. From there:

1. Create a free account (or log in) on McAllenGarageSales.com.
2. Claim your listing with the details from your permit.
3. Add a title, a cover photo, a short description and tags, and mark which permit days you're open.

Sellers can't create a listing manually; a valid city permit always comes first. If your permit is approved but your listing hasn't appeared after a day, let us know.