Ah yes, the garage sale. A staple in suburban culture, and an easy way to make some cash for your unwanted items.

If you're thinking about selling more than five items on your property within the San Antonio city limits, then read on to learn how to get a permit — as required by city code — to make your upcoming sale official.

Purchasing a permit

Permits can be bought for $16 at these locations:

Any local H-E-B
Development Services Department
Using the city's online portal

Pro tip: If you're headed to the Development Services Department, skip the line by using its online check-in service.

Rules + regulations

Once you've secured the official document, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

Residents are allowed four sales per year, and they can happen once per quarter.
Post the permit in view at the time of the garage sale.
You're allowed to post three signs to advertise your sale.
Garage sale signs can be posted two days before the event.
All signs must be removed when the garage sale is over.

Read over the full list of rules.

In the case of nonprofits

If you or know someone who runs a registered nonprofit, the organization is allowed to have 12 garage sales a year. The $16 permit fee still applies to each event.

Prohibited items

One more thing. You can't sell everything at your home sale. Check out four prohibited items:

Glue
Live animals
Guns + ammunition
Food — unless you obtain a food sales permit from the City Health Department, but that's a story for another day

So bring the out the folding tables and have yourself a lovely garage sale.