Federal Yard Sale Laws: 7 Things It Is Legally Banned to Sell in the Yakima Valley (and Beyond)

Your spring and summer yard sale could potentially be loaded with items you can’t legally sell, and you probably don’t even know it. We have a responsibility to our customers to make sure we're not selling things that are potentially hazardous or banned.

These yard sale rules aren’t codified by Washington State laws, but if you get caught selling illegal things at your yard sale, it would be a federal violation! See this handbook from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for more info.

I've been sifting through my clutter looking for items I can sell at a yard sale, but now that I have read this article, I'm going to go back through the boxes to make sure I don't have any "illegal" stuff in them.

Each of the following categories can’t be resold at thrift, consignment, novelty, vintage, or charity stores, and this also extends to yard sales and online.

Read More: 10 Things Yakima Landlords (Not You) are Required by Law to Pay For

Note: Keep in mind that if you are selling stuff online through places like Ebay, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, etc., you cannot sell any previously used perfume or cosmetics!

Things You Can’t Sell Legally at a Yard Sale

Recalled Items: This category includes furniture, foods, baby nursery and toddler items, appliances, electronics, and any other thing that has ever been put on recall list. It’s nearly impossible to keep up with all the items that have been recalled, so if you are planning on selling any of these types of items, do a quick online search to make sure that product/SKU number hasn’t been put on the list. You can do a search on the CPSC recall website.

“It is illegal to sell, offer to sell, or distribute a recalled product. Under Section 19 of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. § 2068), having the recalled product (for sale) is a violation of federal law.” – United States Consumer Product Safety Commission

Other Items You Cannot Legally Sell at Yard Sales

• Baby Cribs Made Before June 2011
• Baby and Toddler Products That Are Broken or Missing Parts
• Flammable Children’s Clothes
• Heaters, Humidifiers, Cords, Extension Cords, Items with Cords, Hair Dryers, Electrical Lights, Electric Blankets, Electric Garden Tools, or Electric Countertop Appliances That Are Damaged or Missing Parts
• Broken, Cracked, or Unstable Furniture
• Bean Bag Chairs with Zippers That Have Broken or Damaged Zippers
• Children's Clothing with Hood or Neck Drawstrings

For a complete list of items that are illegal to sell at a yard sale or online, visit the information center at cpsc.gov.