Garage Sale Ordinance
The Michigan City Common Council has recently enacted an ordinance governing garage sales. All persons desiring to conduct garage sales within City limits must first obtain a permit from the Controller’s Office for each garage sale they host. The Controller Office is located within City Hall at 100 E. Michigan Boulevard, Michigan City, Indiana, and their office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The cost of a permit for each garage sale is $5.00. Once a permit is obtained, the permit must be displayed in a conspicuous area on the date of the garage sale.
Garage sales are limited in duration and frequency. Garage sales may not exceed three (3) consecutive days at the same location, and only four (4) garage sales are allowed at any one (1) location each year. Garage sales shall be conducted only between sunrise and sunset. At the conclusion of a garage sale, all signs erected for the sale and all property exhibited for the sale shall immediately be removed from public view. Failure to comply with this Ordinance, could subject the violator to a fine of $100.00 for each violation.
Vendor Ordinance
Michigan City has recently enacted Ordinance No. 4312 to establish rules, regulations, and permit fees for the following types of vendors: 1.) canvassers, peddlers & solicitors; 2.) street vendors; 3.) transient merchants; and 4.) mobile food vendors.
Canvassers, peddlers & solicitors are persons going door-to-door selling, offering to sell, taking orders for future purposes, or seeking opinions for commercial purposes. A street vendor is a person offering for sale goods or services on a street, alley, sidewalk, or other public place or right-of-way from a stand, pushcart, or by person. A transient merchant is a person engaged in the sale of goods or services in any place in the City on a temporary basis and does not anticipate becoming an established business merchant for a continuous period of 180 days or longer. A mobile food vendor is a person who operates a self-contained food service from a vehicle.
These vendors must obtain a license from the City and pay a license fee before transacting business in the City. The license application is available at the Controller’s Office located within City Hall at 100 E. Michigan Boulevard, Michigan City, Indiana, and their office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In addition, the license application and Ordinance No. 4312 is available online at www.emichigancity.com.
All completed applications received by the Controller’s Office will be referred to the Board of Public Works & Safety for review and recommendation. If an application for a license is approved, the applicant is responsible for obtaining an identification badge from the Controller’s Office for each person transacting business under their license. The identification badge shall be displayed on the person conducting business pursuant to said license at all times. Any violation of Ordinance No. 4312 may result in a $100.00 fine for each violation.
With warmer weather soon approaching, First Fridays in downtown Michigan City on Franklin Square will be attracting larger crowds. All persons who do not have a permanent business establishment on Franklin Square and who are desiring to conduct business as one of the aforementioned types of vendors during First Fridays are encouraged to review Ordinance No. 4312.