TX
Dallas, TX · city specifics
What's specific to Dallas
Verified for 2026Confidence: Confirmed
This page covers only what's specific to Dallas. For the state-wide rules, read the Texas guide.Texas guideAt a glance
Local permit
YesRegulated Property Dealer license (Dallas City Code Ch. 39B, 'Regulated Property — Purchase and Sale', Art. II)
Where to apply
Dallas Police Department — application made on a form provided by the chief of police (§ 39B-7); records are open to police inspection
Reporting system
Dallas Police Department — records and inspection (Ch. 39B-3)
Holding period
21 days
Fees
$245 annual license fee (§ 39B-9)
Fingerprinting
No
Want the whole picture? Get the federal, state and Dallas rules together, for how you buy and sell.
Build my Dallas plan →Dallas requires a Regulated Property Dealer license under Chapter 39B of the City Code. The specifics below are what Dallas 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
- Regulated Property Dealer license (Dallas City Code Ch. 39B, 'Regulated Property — Purchase and Sale', Art. II)
- Who it applies to
- "Regulated property" includes new or used jewelry and crafted precious metals (§ 39B-2), so a used-watch dealer is covered. You're a "dealer" if you buy regulated property for resale and get more than 25% of the value of your regulated-property inventory from sources other than authorized dealers — that is, from the public. Pawnbrokers are excluded, and a dealer who buys almost entirely from other dealers falls outside it. Operating without the license is an offense (§ 39B-7).
- Office
- Dallas Police Department — application made on a form provided by the chief of police (§ 39B-7); records are open to police inspection
- Reporting system
- Dallas Police Department — records and inspection (Ch. 39B-3)
- What must be reported
- For each purchase from the public, record on a sequentially-numbered ticket — the ordinance specifies a detachable ticket of about four inches by six, kept in sequential order at your local place of business — the seller's name, address, sex, date of birth, and driver-license or ID number, the date and time, and a full description with any serial numbers; photograph the seller; and tag and segregate the item. Records are kept at the business and made available to any police officer on inspection; police may place a hold notice on suspected-stolen property (§ 39B-4).
- Reporting cadence
- Records kept at the premises and open to police inspection (Chapter 39B has no daily electronic-filing requirement); keep each record at least one year.
- Holding period
- 21 daysWithhold purchased property from resale or salvage use for 21 calendar days at your local place of business (§ 39B-3(b)(4)); a police hold notice can hold suspected-stolen property longer (§ 39B-4).
- Fingerprinting
- NoChapter 39B does not require fingerprinting. The chief reviews the application under § 39B-8 (applicant is 18+, not overdue on city taxes, truthful on the form, and without two or more § 39B-5 offenses in the prior two years).
- Zoning / home office
- Not confirmed — check with the city
- Fees
- $245 annual license fee (§ 39B-9)Renewal: Annual — the license expires one year after issuance; apply to renew at least 30 days before expiration (§ 39B-10)Source reviewed: 2026-09-21 (Dallas City Code Ch. 39B, 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.
Where does most of your watch inventory come from, by value?
Dallas's "dealer" definition (§ 39B-2) turns on how much you buy from the public versus from other authorized dealers.
Things to confirm
Confidence: ConfirmedOpen items a professional should verify before you rely on this page.
- Confirm how the 'more than 25% from non-dealers' test applies to your buying mix — it decides whether you're a 'dealer' at all.
Turn this guide into your plan
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Permits, fees and holding periods change without notice. We'll email you when this guide is re-verified, and what changed.
Sources
- Dallas City Code Sec. 39B-2 (Definitions); Chapter 39B - Dealers in Regulated Property. (5) CRAFTED PRECIOUS METALS means JEWELRY; SILVERWARE; ART OBJECTS; OR ANY OTHER THING OR OBJECT CRAFTED; IN WHOLE OR IN PART; FROM GOLD; SILVER; PLATINUM; PALLADIUM; IRRIDIUM; RHODIUM; OSMIUM; RUTHENIUM; OR THEIR ALLOYS; BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE COINS; BULLION; OR BARS of such metals. (9) JEWELRY means GEMS; JEWELS; AND OBJECTS MADE OF PRECIOUS METALS THAT ARE WORN FOR ADORNMENT; including stones removed from a mounting. (6) DEALER means any person; OTHER THAN A PAWNBROKER; PAWNSHOP OR OTHER BUSINESS LICENSED UNDER THE TEXAS PAWNSHOP ACT; who (A) PURCHASES REGULATED PROPERTY FOR RESALE OR SALVAGE USE; AND (B) OBTAINS MORE THAN 25 PERCENT OF THE VALUE OF THE PERSON'S TOTAL INVENTORY OF REGULATED PROPERTY FROM A SOURCE OTHER THAN AN AUTHORIZED VENDOR OR MANUFACTURER - BOTH LIMBS. (2) AUTHORIZED VENDOR means a commercial supplier who deals in the WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION of regulated property in the ordinary course of business. (16) REGULATED PROPERTY means new or used (A) automobile accessories; (B) business machines; (C) CRAFTED PRECIOUS METALS; (D) electronic equipment; (E) firearms as defined by state law; (F) household appliances; (G) JEWELRY; (H) motorcycle accessories; (I) musical instruments; (J) photographic equipment; (K) power tools; or (L) sporting goods - A CLOSED LIST WITH NO GENERAL SECONDHAND-GOODS CATCH-ALL. (8) HOLD NOTICE means notification by the chief that a person may not sell; redeem or dispose of regulated property that has been identified as potentially stolen or HAS A DEFACED IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. (15) PURCHASE means a transaction in which a person TAKES TITLE to regulated property in exchange for valuable consideration. (17) SALVAGE USE means extracting or isolating component parts for later use; including melting; pulverizing and compacting. NOTE FOR A WATCH DEALER: the chapter is scoped BY CATEGORY rather than by a general class of used goods. A gold or platinum watch is crafted precious metals and is also jewelry; whether a STEEL or titanium watch is within either definition is not addressed by the text; since jewelry is defined as objects MADE OF PRECIOUS METALS — retrieved 2026-09-23 · current
- Dallas City Code Sec. 39B-3 (Regulated property purchases; records) and Sec. 39B-4 (Hold notice). 39B-3(a) a dealer shall keep a SALES RECORD indicating the business name and address of the manufacturer or authorized vendor from which regulated property was purchased. (b) IF PURCHASED FROM OTHER THAN A MANUFACTURER OR AUTHORIZED VENDOR a dealer shall: (1) AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE record legibly ON A SEQUENTIALLY-NUMBERED DETACHABLE TICKET; APPROXIMATELY FOUR INCHES BY SIX INCHES IN DIMENSION; KEPT IN SEQUENTIAL ORDER at the local place of business: (A) the dealer's business name and address; (B) THE NAME; ADDRESS; SEX; DATE OF BIRTH; AND DRIVER'S LICENSE NUMBER; MILITARY IDENTIFICATION NUMBER; PASSPORT NUMBER OR PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION CERTIFICATE NUMBER OF THE SELLER; (C) the date and time of purchase; (D) A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY INCLUDING THE TYPE; THE BRAND NAME OR MANUFACTURER'S NAME; ANY SERIAL NUMBER; IDENTIFYING NUMBER OR INITIALS INSCRIBED IN OR ATTACHED TO THE PROPERTY; and any other identifying marks or features; (E) the price paid or other consideration; and (F) THE SIGNATURE OF THE SELLER AFFIRMING OWNERSHIP of the property offered for sale; (2) AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE DETERMINE THAT THE PHOTOGRAPH ON THE IDENTIFICATION IS A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SELLER AND MAKE A PHOTOCOPY of the identification; (3) SEGREGATE the property purchased from that bought from other sellers AND ATTACH A TAG indicating the seller's name and the date of purchase; (4) RETAIN POSSESSION AT THE DEALER'S LOCAL PLACE OF BUSINESS AND WITHHOLD THE PROPERTY FROM RESALE OR SALVAGE USE FOR 21 CALENDAR DAYS; (5) make the property AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION BY ANY POLICE OFFICER during regular business hours while in the dealer's possession; and (6) MAKE A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SELLER IN EACH PURCHASE TRANSACTION IN A MANNER SUCH THAT THE SELLER'S FACIAL FEATURES ARE CLEARLY VISIBLE. (c) a dealer shall maintain the information ON FILE FOR ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE OR UNTIL THE ITEM IS SOLD; WHICHEVER OCCURS LATER. 39B-4 HOLD NOTICE: (a) where a police officer has REASONABLE CAUSE to believe regulated property offered for sale is stolen or has had an identifying mark removed; defaced or altered; the chief may place a hold notice on it. (b) property under a hold notice MUST BE HELD AT THE DEALER'S LOCAL PLACE OF BUSINESS FOR 60 CALENDAR DAYS unless released sooner by the chief; AFTER 60 CALENDAR DAYS WITH NO DISPOSITION THE HOLD IS AUTOMATICALLY RELEASED and the dealer may dispose of the property — retrieved 2026-09-23 · current
- Dallas City Code Secs. 39B-7 to 39B-11 (licence; issuance; fees; expiration; revocation). 39B-7 LICENSE REQUIRED: (a) a person commits an offense if WITHOUT A LICENSE he (1) purchases regulated property from other than a manufacturer or authorized vendor for resale or salvage use; or (2) operates a business establishment that PURPORTS to do so. (c) where the applicant is a legal entity; EACH INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS A 20 PERCENT OR GREATER INTEREST IN THE BUSINESS MUST SIGN THE APPLICATION AS AN APPLICANT and each is considered a licensee if the licence is granted. (d) it is a DEFENCE TO PROSECUTION that the person was purchasing under the specific authority of a valid STATE OR FEDERAL licence; but a city licence is still required for activities not specifically authorised by that licence. 39B-8 ISSUANCE: THE CHIEF SHALL ISSUE A LICENSE WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF AN APPLICATION unless one or more of the following is true - the applicant is UNDER 18; the applicant or the applicant's spouse is OVERDUE IN PAYMENT TO THE CITY of taxes; fees; fines or penalties; the applicant FAILED TO ANSWER OR FALSELY ANSWERED a question; the applicant or spouse has TWO OR MORE CONVICTIONS UNDER SECTION 39B-5 WITHIN TWO YEARS; THE APPLICANT HAS NOT OBTAINED A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY for the premises; the licence fee has not been paid; the applicant has been CONVICTED OF A FELONY OR A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR INVOLVING THEFT OR FRAUD (theft; robbery; burglary; forgery; criminal simulation; deceptive business practices; securing execution of document by deception or similar) AND THREE YEARS HAVE NOT ELAPSED since the termination of any sentence; parole or probation; or the applicant has been convicted of an offence under any federal or state RECORD-KEEPING OR LICENSING law for persons purchasing or selling regulated property and three years have not elapsed. (b) THE LICENCE IS VALID ONLY FOR THE LOCATION STATED IN THE APPLICATION and a licensee moving premises must give the chief PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE and present the licence to have the change noted. (c) the licence shall be POSTED IN A CONSPICUOUS PLACE. 39B-9 FEES: THE ANNUAL FEE FOR A LICENSE ISSUED UNDER THIS ARTICLE IS $245. 39B-10 EXPIRATION: EACH LICENSE SHALL EXPIRE ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF ISSUANCE and may be renewed only by making application as provided in 39B-7; to assure reissuance before expiry APPLICATION FOR RENEWAL SHOULD BE MADE AT LEAST 30 DAYS BEFORE THE EXPIRATION DATE. 39B-11 REVOCATION: the chief shall revoke for a false statement on a material matter; two or more convictions under 39B-5 within a two-year period by the licensee; a business associate; a corporate officer OR AN EMPLOYEE; or a felony or Class A misdemeanor involving theft or fraud where three years have not elapsed — retrieved 2026-09-23 · current
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