Glen Rock Cracks Down on Endless Garage Sales

The Glen Rock Council met in a work session on August 27, 2025 to review proposed updates to Glen Rock’s garage sale ordinance. The conversation stemmed from a resident’s concern about a neighbor who was holding an excessive number of garage sales each year. Officials emphasized that the updated ordinance is intended to address situations where garage sales are used as an ongoing business activity, not to limit the casual sales most residents hold only occasionally.

Under the proposed updated ordinance, each household would continue to be permitted four garage sales within a twelve-month period. No fee would be charged, but residents would need to register each sale through the borough’s SDL online system to ensure the rules can be enforced fairly. Sales would continue to be limited to the hours of 9 AM to 6 PM.

The updated ordinance also acknowledges the growth of online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace and makes clear that it does not intend to affect local “buy nothing” groups. Community-wide garage sales would be exempt from registration requirements to preserve the ease of those events.

Enforcement responsibilities would shift from the police department, which has been reluctant to handle the enforcement, to a designated code official if a violation occurs during hours when Borough Hall is open. Council members also discussed penalties for violations. They agreed that a warning should remain for first-time offenses, followed by a progressive fine structure to deter repeat offenders who might use garage sales as a commercial operation. One suggested structure included a $100 fine for a second violation and $250 for a third.

If the updated ordinance is adopted, the borough will work to alert residents through the borough website, the weekly e-newsletter, and social media. The updated ordinance is scheduled for its first reading in September.

Council members stressed that the changes would not affect the average resident. Instead, the revisions are designed to close loopholes that have allowed a small number of residents to hold repeated garage sales that resemble retail businesses.