Secondhand dealer license

A secondhand dealer license is a local permit some cities and states require before a business can buy and resell used goods, often including watches and jewelry.

Where it applies, it usually comes with duties such as recording each purchase, reporting purchases to police, and holding items for a period before resale. Requirements, fees, and who is covered vary widely from one city to the next.

The compliance guides on this site set out the rules city by city, and the compliance checker builds a list for where you operate.

Does it apply to you?

These rules usually turn on who you buy from and how often. Buying from the public, especially in person, is what most local secondhand-dealer rules are written for. Buying only from other dealers, or selling your own collection now and then, is often treated differently, but the definitions vary, so read the one where you buy.

Watches are commonly covered, either by name or as jewelry or precious-metal articles, and a few places exempt certain kinds of business. The article on whether you need a license to sell watches explains how the federal, state and city layers fit together, and the compliance checker lists what applies where you operate.