Do you need a permit for a garage sale in Wichita? See how to hold sales & find deals

If you procrastinated on spring cleaning this year and have boxes of things you’re looking to get rid of, you might be thinking about holding a garage sale.

Garage sales are a great way to meet neighbors and spend time outdoors while also cleaning out your storage room. But before you drag all your boxes to your front yard and start setting up your sale, there are a few rules you should know ahead of time.

Anyone holding a garage sale in Wichita’s city limits is required to purchase a garage sale permit. Permits are available for $2.50 a day and can be purchased on the city of Wichita’s website.

With a permit purchase, you also get to advertise your garage sale for free on the city’s website, where you can include a description of what items you’ll be selling and a handful of photos.

To buy a permit, you first need to set up an account with the city of Wichita, which you can do online. Then you will be redirected to the page where you can enter payment information and buy the permit ahead of your sale.

Here are some helpful tips if you’re holding a garage sale for the first time, from Better Home & Gardens:

• Have a goal in mind.
• Check out other garage sales to compare before your own.
• Collect your items and price them as you go.
• Use an inexpensive way to tag your items.
• Advertise your garage sale to the best of your ability.
• Keep a calculator on hand day of sale.

According to Wichita city ordinances, no one is allowed to hold more than two garage sales per calendar year and sales are only allowed to be held for three consecutive days.

How to find garage sales in Wichita

Not only can you register your garage sale online, but you can also use the city’s tool to find garage sales near you.

The city has a map feature where you can see garage sales depending on ZIP code, street address or the date of the sale, which are added when permits are purchased.

When you go shopping, here’s how you can get the most from the experience, from HGTV:

• Wear walking shoes.
• Wear sun protection.
• Have enough cash before you leave.
• Bring a tape measure for big items to make sure they’ll fit in your space.
• Try to buy things as soon as possible — it’s common they’ll be gone soon after you see them.

Lindsay Smith

The Wichita Eagle

Lindsay Smith is a suburban news reporter for the Wichita Eagle, covering the communities of Andover, Bel Aire, Derby, Haysville and Kechi. She has been on The Eagle staff since 2022 and was the service journalism reporter for three years. She has a degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism from Wichita State, where she was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Sunflower, for two years. You can reach her via email at lsmith@wichitaeagle.com.