Austin, TX · city specifics
What's specific to Austin
At a glance
Local permit
Where to apply
Reporting system
Holding period
Fees
Fingerprinting
Want the whole picture? Get the federal, state and Austin rules together, for how you buy and sell.
Build my Austin plan →Austin regulates jewelers and secondhand-goods dealers under Chapter 4-6 of the City Code. The specifics below are what Austin adds on top of the state rules — the state-wide substance is in the Texas guide.
Local details
Everything a city page adds on top of the state rules. Fields that weren't found in the source are marked so — confirm them with the city, never assume.
- Permit required
- Yes
- Official name
- Registration as a jeweler/secondhand-goods dealer (Austin City Code Ch. 4-6, Art. 2), with the police chief
- Who it applies to
- A "dealer" is anyone who buys precious metal or antique, used, or scrap jewelry for resale (§ 4-6-11) — a used-watch or jewelry dealer is covered. You must register with the Austin police chief, on a form the chief provides, before you operate (§ 4-6-12). Purchases made directly from a manufacturer or wholesaler, and transactions between registered dealers, are exempt from the logbook and the weekly report (§ 4-6-15).
- Office
- Austin Police Department — register with the police chief (APD Commercial Burglary & Metal Theft Unit)
- Reporting system
- Austin Police Department — logbook and weekly report
- What must be reported
- Label each item of jewelry or precious metal you acquire (§ 4-6-13) and record each qualifying purchase in a logbook (§ 4-6-14). Then deliver the original logbook entries not already given to a police officer to the police chief.
- Reporting cadence
- Weekly — no later than noon every Friday (§ 4-6-17).
- Holding period
- Not confirmed — check with the cityChapter 4-6 sets no fixed resale holding period for jewelers or secondhand dealers.
- Fingerprinting
- NoRegistration is on a form provided by the police chief (§ 4-6-12); the ordinance does not require fingerprinting.
- Zoning / home office
- Not confirmed — check with the city
- Fees
- No registration fee is set in Chapter 4-6 — register with the Austin Police Department.Source reviewed: 2026-09-21 (Austin City Code Ch. 4-6, current online version)
Confirm with your city
Anything marked “Not confirmed” above wasn't in the source we reviewed. Before you rely on it, confirm the permit, fee, reporting system, and holding period directly with the city office listed here, and check the sources at the bottom of this page.
Does this apply to you?
Some of these rules turn on how you actually operate. Answer a question and we’ll show what the rule says for that answer — with the citation. This is general information, not a legal determination about your business.
Who do you buy your watches from?
Austin exempts certain sources from the logbook and weekly report (§ 4-6-15).
Things to confirm
Confidence: ConfirmedOpen items a professional should verify before you rely on this page.
- Confirm that the watches you handle count as 'jewelry' or 'precious metal' under § 4-6-11 for your specific inventory.
Turn this guide into your plan
Answer a few questions about how you buy and sell. The compliance checker puts Austin's rules together with the rest — federal, state and city — in one checklist, every step with its official source. It's free, and your plan is emailed to you.
Build my Austin plan →Tell me when Austin, TX changes
Permits, fees and holding periods change without notice. We'll email you when this guide is re-verified, and what changed.
Sources
Not legal advice. Confirm with your city or state office and a qualified professional.
Get help
Talk to a local attorney
Schedule a consultation with an attorney who handles secondhand-dealer licensing and small-business compliance near Austin, TX. Confirm anything on this page, and get advice for your specific situation.
We're not a law firm and don't refer, rank, or endorse anyone. This opens a public Google Maps search, ordered by Google, not by us. Vet anyone yourself, confirm they handle secondhand-dealer licensing and small-business compliance, and remember nothing on this page is legal advice.