Garage sale or flea market organized by an association
Verified 24 July 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
Prior declaration from sale to unpacking
THEarticle 5 of the law n°2026-403 of 26 may 2026 on the simplification of economic life (SVE) amends the rules on the declaration of pre-unpacking sales. Implementing decrees are pending to clarify this development.
This sheet will be updated as soon as they are published.
You are in charge of an association and you plan to organize a garage sale or flea market. Would you like to know what regulations apply to these events? We present you the information to know.
An association can organize a garage sale or a flea market:
- in private premises (hall of festivals, associative premises,...))
- or on the public road (square, street, parking,...). lot
The authorized participants are:
- Individuals who sell only personal and used items provided that they participate 2 times maximum per year
- Regularly declared trade or manufacturing professionals.
Associations that sell only used objects donated by private individuals may be added to these individuals.
The frequency of these events is not limited. They can therefore take place several times a year.
However, their cumulative duration in the same premises, on the same location (or in the same district in large cities) may not exceed 2 months per year.
If this period is exceeded, the mayor must inform the association, at least 8 days before the start of the event, that it is liable to a fine of €1,500.
The rules vary depending on where the event is held:
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Event organized on the public domain
Prior declaration
The leaders of the organizing association must make a prior declaration to the town hall of the municipality on which the event location. To do so, they must fill out the following form:
Prior declaration of an unpacking sale
The declaration shall specify the characteristics of the sale.
It must be signed by the seller, the organizer or a person authorized to represent him.
It must be accompanied by proof of the identity of the declarant.
The declaration can either be delivered by hand to the City Hall service against receipt, or be sent to it by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.
The association that organizes a flea market or a garage sale without having made the prior declaration a risk fine from €15,000.
Application for temporary occupation of the public domain
One application for temporary occupation of the public domain must also be performed. It must be submitted at the same time as the prior declaration.
Event organized in another location
The leaders of the organizing association must make a prior declaration to the town hall of the municipality on which the event location. To do so, they must fill out the following form:
Prior declaration of an unpacking sale
The declaration shall specify the characteristics of the sale.
It must be signed by the seller, the organizer or a person authorized to represent him.
It must be accompanied by proof of the identity of the declarant.
The declaration can either be delivered by hand to the City Hall service against receipt, or be sent to it by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. It must be transmitted at the latest 15 days before the date of the event.
If the association organizes a flea market or a garage sale without having made the prior declaration, it risks a fine from €75,000.
Please note
Sales occasional organized by associations in their own premises are not subject to declaration if access to these sales is exclusively reserved for their members.
The directors of the organizing association must keep a register that allows the identification of persons who sell objects in the context of the flea market or garage sale.
The register shall include the following information:
- Surname, forenames, office and domicile of each person selling second-hand movable objects and the nature, number and date of issue of their identity document with the indication of the authority that issued it
- For individuals, mention of the delivery of a attestation on honor failure to participate in more than 2 other similar events during the calendar year. Certificates of personal honor must be attached to the register.
- For the legal persons, name and address of their registered office and the surname, forenames, office and address of their representative, together with the references of the identity document
The register shall be listed and initialed by the police commissioner or, if not, by the mayor of the commune where the demonstration is taking place.
It is kept at the disposal of the police and gendarmerie services, tax services, customs and competition, consumer and fraud enforcement services throughout the duration of the demonstration.
After the demonstration and at the latest within 8 days, the register is deposited at the town hall of the place of the demonstration.
The absence of a register or the refusal to present it to the administrative authorities is punishable by 6 months' imprisonment and €30,000 of fine.
When the garage sale or flea market generates revenue, they are exempt from commercial taxes (TVA: titleContent, business tax and CET) within the limit of 6 events charitable or supportive per year.
On the other hand, when the association has as its object the organization of flea markets or garage sales, it is exempt from commercial taxes if the following three conditions are met:
- The majority of its activities are non-profit making
- His management is selfless
- The amount of revenue generated by any of the ancillary activities shall not exceed €78,596 on a calendar year.
Example :
- A festive committee, whose purpose is to promote the life of the village and to organize the annual garage sale, must respect the threshold of €78,596 to be exempt from commercial taxes.
- An association, whose purpose is to protect abandoned animals, organizes a garage sale to finance its activities. It is exempt from TVA on the profits of the garage sale regardless of the amount collected, if the association does not carry out more than 6 events per year.
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Find who can answer your questions in your region
Article L310-2: unpacking sales
Prior declaration and register
Sanctions (R310-19 3°)
Failure to keep the register: criminal sanctions
Characteristics of the register