Depending on your perspective, garage sales can be a bit of a hassle. One of the biggest headaches involves getting a permit in advance to hold the sale. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the city of Fort Worth is considering eliminating the requirement to get a permit.

 The city issued 16,113 permits in 2017. The City Council’s Housing and Neighborhood Service Committee is evaluating whether the permit should still be required. But according to the proposal, the 40-year-old requirement to obtain a garage sale permit is largely symbolic and unnecessary.

 It doesn’t cost any money to get a permit, so the city would not lose any revenue by eliminating the requirement. In fact, ending the ordinance might actually save money in terms of the labor spent on issuing them.

 Dana Burghdoff, Fort Worth’s assistant director of planning, told the Star-Telegram that 75 percent of permits are issued by telephone. Burghdoff said the calls are a drain on city employees’ time.

 An additional 25 percent of permits are issued online. It’s uncertain how many additional people may be holding garage sales without first seeking a permit.

 The city’s Code Compliance division investigates complaints about garage sales, regardless of whether or not a permit was obtained. Code Compliance looked into 174 complaints this year, most of which were about claims that the person was hosting too many garage sales.

 The rules in the ordinance will still apply, even if the permit requirement is overturned. The rules for garage sales are designed to prevent people from illegally running a business from their yard.

 Permits are not required in every city. Dallas, Plano, Irving, and Grand Prairie require permits. Southlake, Arlington, and Keller do not.