Columbus, OH · city specifics
What's specific to Columbus
At a glance
Local permit
Where to apply
Reporting system
Holding period
Fees
Fingerprinting
Want the whole picture? Get the federal, state and Columbus rules together, for how you buy and sell.
Build my Columbus plan →Columbus is the unusual case: a city that regulates secondhand dealers in detail but does not license them. There is nothing to apply for at City Hall and no city fee. The duties in Chapter 541 of the City Code apply all the same.
What the record book asks for
Section 541.02 goes further than the state record book in one respect that a seller will notice: it asks for the seller's social security number, along with their driver's license number and the license number of their vehicle. Plan how you will ask for that before the first seller sits down.
The section applies to "any secondhand" article and to a list that includes coins and jewelry. Watches are not named, which leaves a steel watch's position to the opening words of the list.
Before noon, every day
Each day before 12:00 noon, a copy of the previous day's entries goes to the Chief of Police on the department's own forms (§ 541.03). The code does not mention a portal, and whether Columbus Police now take these electronically was not found. Ask the Division of Police which format it expects.
Seven days, on the premises
Section 541.04 requires a hold of at least seven days, in an accessible place within the premises where the watch was bought. A gold watch bought by a state-licensed dealer therefore appears to face both the state hold and the city's longer one, and in practice the longer one would govern. (Section 541.07 still mentions peddlers not having to hold goods for a longer period — a leftover cross-reference, not an operative rule.)
Opening hours
Section 541.06 limits when you may be open: weekday evenings end at 7:00 p.m., Saturdays run to 9:30 p.m., six named holidays are closed, and Sunday is only available in place of a religious Saturday closure. An evening appointment or a Sunday meet-up sits outside those hours.
Sales tax in Columbus
For the part of Columbus in Franklin County, the Department of Taxation's county table puts the rate for October 1 – December 31, 2026 at 8.00%. Not every address is in Franklin County: the Central Ohio Transit Authority tax "extends into portions of the cities of Columbus, Westerville, and Reynoldsburg that are in Delaware, Fairfield, Licking, and Union counties", so check which county table an address falls under.
The state-wide rules — the Precious Metals Dealer licence, the vendor's licence, the movement-jewels question — are in the Ohio 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
- No
- Official name
- Not confirmed — check with the city
- Who it applies to
- Columbus does not license secondhand dealers. City Code Chapter 541 ("Secondhand Dealers Generally") defines and regulates them in nine sections, none of which requires a licence or sets a fee, and the License Section's own list of the licences it issues has no secondhand-dealer entry (scrap metal dealers are on it). The duties in Chapter 541 still reach any "secondhand dealer" — "a person operating a store, shop, or other business outlet for the purpose of purchasing, selling, exchanging, or receiving secondhand articles of any kind on a continuing basis" (§ 541.01(a)) — and a secondhand article is "any item which has previously been used or worn by another" (§ 541.01(b)). Whether an online-only or appointment-only dealer operates a "business outlet" is not answered by the text. No city licence does not mean no licence: buying precious-metal watches from the public in Columbus still needs the state Precious Metals Dealer licence.
- Office
- No city licensing office. Daily reports go to the Chief of Police (Columbus Division of Police); the record book is open to the Mayor, the Director of Building and Zoning Services and the Chief of Police (§ 541.02)
- Reporting system
- Daily copy of the record book to the Columbus Chief of Police (§ 541.03)
- What must be reported
- The book records each article purchased or exchanged: a complete description, including the serial number where there is one; the seller's name, address, social security number, driver's license number and the license number of their vehicle; and the date. Entries are numbered consecutively (§ 541.02). The section applies where the article is "any secondhand" item or one of a listed set — among them coins, jewelry and electronic equipment (§ 541.02(b)). Watches are not named. The daily copy is written in English on forms the Chief of Police furnishes, and gives a complete description of each article bought or received the day before, the purchase date, and the seller's name, address and vehicle license number (§ 541.03).
- Reporting cadence
- Every day before 12:00 noon, covering the preceding day's purchases, on forms furnished by the Chief of Police (§ 541.03). The code names no electronic system, and whether Columbus Police accept or require an online portal was not found.
- Holding period
- 7 daysArticles purchased or exchanged must be kept for at least seven days before you dispose of them, in an accessible place within the premises where they were bought or received (§ 541.04). That is longer than the state's 5-day in-state hold for a precious metals dealer, and for a steel watch it is the only hold there is.
- Fingerprinting
- NoNone at city level, because there is no city licence to apply for. Any background check comes with the state Precious Metals Dealer licence, not from Columbus.
- Zoning / home office
- Not researched in depth. Columbus is moving from its Title 33 zoning code to a new Title 34 (2024 Zoning Code), and only Title 33 was read. Its definitions (Ch. 3303) contain no "pawn", "secondhand" or "used merchandise" use, and define a home occupation as "an accessory use of a dwelling unit for a legitimate business, profession, trade or vocation conducted within an enclosed dwelling, which is clearly incidental and secondary to residential occupancy". Title 34 was not searched.Opening hours are fixed by § 541.06. A secondhand dealer may be open to the public Monday to Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., and on Saturday between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. It must close on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and may trade on Sunday only in place of a Saturday closed for religious observance.
- Fees
- None — Columbus has no secondhand-dealer licence and charges no secondhand-dealer feeRenewal: Not applicableSource reviewed: 2026-10-03 (Columbus City Codes Ch. 541, as published on Municode)
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.
Do you buy from a store, or by appointment and online only?
Chapter 541 defines a secondhand dealer as a person operating "a store, shop, or other business outlet" for buying or selling secondhand articles "on a continuing basis" (§ 541.01).
When do you see sellers?
Things to confirm
Confidence: ConfirmedOpen items a professional should verify before you rely on this page.
- Does an online-only or appointment-only dealer operate a 'store, shop, or other business outlet' within § 541.01, and so fall under Chapter 541 at all?
- Does the § 541.04 seven-day hold apply to a state-licensed precious metals dealer on top of the state hold — given that ORC 4737.011's carve-out for precious-metal articles speaks only to ORC 4737.01 to 4737.04, not to a municipal ordinance?
- Is a plain steel watch within § 541.02(b)'s list, through 'any secondhand' item or through 'jewelry'?
Turn this guide into your plan
Answer a few questions about how you buy and sell. The compliance checker puts Columbus'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 Columbus plan →Tell me when Columbus, OH changes
Permits, fees and holding periods change without notice. We'll email you when this guide is re-verified, and what changed.
Sources
- Columbus City Code Ch. 541 Secondhand Dealers Generally (541.01-541.09). 541.01: (a) The term 'secondhand dealer' means a person operating a store; shop; or other business outlet for the purpose of purchasing; selling; exchanging; or receiving secondhand articles of any kind on a continuing basis. (b) The term 'secondhand articles' means any item which has previously been used or worn by another; something which is not new. 541.02: (2) The name; address; social security number; driver's license number and automobile license number of the vehicle of the person from whom such article was purchased or exchanged / (b) This section shall apply in those instances where the article purchased or received by the dealer is any secondhand; scrap iron; old metal; canvas; rope; branded bottles; junk or lead pipe; household furniture or furnishings; household appliances; office equipment; coins; jewelry; clothing; weapons; bicycles; toys and/or electronic equipment. 541.03: The purchaser of an article described in C.C. 541.01 shall prepare and deliver each day to the chief of police before 12:00 noon; on forms to be furnished by the chief of police; a legible and correct copy written in English; from such book containing a complete description of each article purchased or received during the preceding day; the date the purchase was made; and a description as to name; address; and license number of the automobile of the person from whom it was purchased. 541.04: Articles purchased or exchanged; as provided in C.C. 541.01; shall be retained by the purchaser thereof for at least seven days before disposing of them; in an accessible place; in the confines where such articles are purchased or received. 541.06 (hours): ...except on the following days: Monday; Tuesday; Wednesday; Thursday and Friday between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; ... Saturday; between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. — retrieved 2026-10-03 · Supplement 85; codified through Ordinance No. 0923-2026 (enacted 2026-04-20)
- City of Columbus - Business License Section (Department of Building and Zoning Services) - list of licences issued; no secondhand-dealer entry. List as rendered: Alarm Dealers / Alarm Users / Arcades / ... / Closing-out Sales; Distressed Merchandise Sales / Commercial Sales / Community Markets on Public Property / ... / Itinerant Vendors / Massage and Bath Establishments / Mobile Food Vending (MFV) / ... / Scrap Metal Dealers / Short-Term Rentals (STR) / Vehicle for Hire (VFH) — retrieved 2026-10-03 · current as displayed
- Columbus City Code Ch. 3303 Zoning Definitions (Title 33). Home occupation means an accessory use of a dwelling unit for a legitimate business; profession; trade or vocation conducted within an enclosed dwelling; which is clearly incidental and secondary to residential occupancy... — retrieved 2026-10-03 · Title 33 current as displayed; Title 34 (2024 Zoning Code) not reviewed
- ORC Chapter 4728 Precious Metals Dealers (4728.01-4728.99). 4728.01(A): 'Precious metals dealer' means a person who is engaged in the business of purchasing articles made of or containing gold; silver; platinum; or other precious metals or jewels of any description if; in any manner; including any form of advertisement or solicitation of customers; the person holds himself; herself; or itself out to the public as willing to purchase such articles. 4728.02: (A) Except as provided in division (B) of this section; no person shall act as a precious metals dealer without first having obtained a license from the division of financial institutions in the department of commerce. (B) Notwithstanding any provision in this chapter to the contrary; a person holding a license as a pawnbroker pursuant to Chapter 4727. of the Revised Code may act as a precious metals dealer without being separately licensed pursuant to this chapter. 4728.03(B): ...may grant a precious metals dealer's license to any person having experience in the capacity involved; who demonstrates a net worth of at least ten thousand dollars and the ability to maintain that net worth during the licensure period. / (c) The bond is in the amount of not less than ten thousand dollars. 4728.03(C): ...a nonrefundable; initial investigation fee of two hundred dollars which shall be for the exclusive use of the state. The license fee for a precious metals dealer's license and the renewal fee shall be determined by the superintendent; provided that the fee may not exceed three hundred dollars. A license issued by the division shall expire on the last day of June next following the date of its issuance or annually on a different date set by the superintendent... 4728.03 (out-of-state investigation expenses): ...the superintendent shall assess the applicant a total no greater than one thousand dollars for such expenses. 4728.04(A): Not more than one office or place of business shall be maintained under the same license; except as provided under division (C) of this section. 4728.04(C) temporary exhibition permit: ...for a period not to exceed seven days for any one auction; convention; exhibition; fair; or show. 4728.07: ...shall; every business day; make available to the chief or the head of the local police department; on forms furnished by the police department; a description of all articles received by the licensee on the business day immediately preceding; together with the number of the receipt issued. 4728.09: (A) A person licensed under Chapter 4728. of the Revised Code shall retain in this state any articles purchased by him until the expiration of five days after the date of purchase. / ...the licensee shall retain the article until the expiration of thirty days after the day on which he is first required to make available the information required by this section... 4728.11(A) exempts Any purchase ... if both the buyer and seller ... deal in such articles or otherwise by their respective occupations; or by their respective avocations as collectors; speculators; or investors; hold themselves out as having knowledge or skill peculiar to such articles... 4728.13(C): the burden of proving an exemption from a requirement of this chapter falls on the person claiming the benefit of the exemption. / 4728.04(C)(4) A permit holder who wishes to participate in an auction; convention; exhibition; fair; or show shall; at least two weeks prior to its scheduled opening; submit to the superintendent; or the chief or the head of the local police department with jurisdiction at the location of the event — retrieved 2026-10-03 · 4728.03 effective 2023-12-29 (SB 131); current as displayed
- Ohio Department of Taxation - Sales and Use Tax. Vendor's License Fee Increase: Effective April 9; 2025; new vendor's license applications increased from $25 to $50. / Counties and regional transit authorities in Ohio can add sales tax in small increments (multiples of 0.05%) up to a maximum of 3 percent. When combined with the state rate—which is 5.75 percent—the overall tax rate (state; local; and transit) cannot exceed 8.75 percent. / Economic nexus: Your total sales to Ohio customers were over $100;000 in the current or previous year; OR You made 200 or more separate sales to Ohio customers in the current or previous year. / If the seller only uses an online marketplace; like Amazon or eBay; and that marketplace collects and pays the tax for them; then the license is not needed. / Marketplace facilitators: The marketplace facilitator has aggregate gross receipts into Ohio exceeding $100;000; including sales made on behalf of one or more marketplace sellers; or The marketplace facilitator has an aggregate of 200 or more separate transactions into Ohio... / The Central Ohio Transit Authority tax extends into portions of the cities of Columbus; Westerville; and Reynoldsburg that are in Delaware; Fairfield; Licking; and Union counties / Licence table: Vendor $50 A person or business selling taxable goods from a fixed location in Ohio. Each location needs a separate license. This includes physical storefront locations and selling items online within Ohio. / Transient Vendor $50 A person or business selling taxable goods from temporary locations / Out-of-State Seller No fee — retrieved 2026-10-03 · vendor licence fee change effective 2025-04-09; current as displayed
- Ohio Department of Taxation - Sales and Use Tax Rates by County - October 1; 2026 - December 31; 2026. Table rows: Cuyahoga | 18 | 8.00% / Franklin | 25 | 8.00% — retrieved 2026-10-03 · rates for 2026-10-01 to 2026-12-31
Not legal advice. Confirm with your city or state office and a qualified professional.
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