Fort Worth, TX · city specifics
What's specific to Fort Worth
At a glance
Local permit
Where to apply
Reporting system
Holding period
Fees
Fingerprinting
Want the whole picture? Get the federal, state and Fort Worth rules together, for how you buy and sell.
Build my Fort Worth plan →Fort Worth's secondhand-dealer rules live in Chapter 20 of the City Code. The specifics below are what Fort Worth 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
- Unclear — check with the city
- Official name
- Fort Worth secondhand-dealer regulation (City Code Ch. 20, §§ 20-251–20-258)
- Who it applies to
- Applies to any for-profit dealer in used or secondhand goods — which expressly include jewelry and crafted precious metals — operating from a permanent location in the city or as a transient for more than 30 consecutive days (§ 20-251). Charities and nonprofits, used-motor-vehicle dealers, occasional and garage sales, and auctions are exempt (§ 20-258). The article imposes the reporting and holding duties below and refers to "licensed" secondhand dealers, but it does not itself set out a separate secondhand-dealer permit or fee — confirm any city registration.
- Office
- Fort Worth Police Department (purchase reports)
- Reporting system
- Fort Worth Police Department — report of purchases (§ 20-252)
- What must be reported
- Record each purchase or trade in duplicate on a report form — an accurate description of the article plus the seller's identifying information and signature. Mail one copy to the police department, and keep the second copy for two years.
- Reporting cadence
- One copy mailed to police within 48 hours of the purchase or trade; the dealer's copy is kept two years (§ 20-252).
- Holding period
- 14 daysHold each secondhand article in its original shape, form, and condition for 14 consecutive days after purchase — nothing sold or removed from the place of business — unless the police department authorizes a shorter period in writing. The hold does not apply to items bought from other licensed secondhand dealers in the city (§ 20-254).
- Fingerprinting
- NoThe Chapter 20 secondhand-dealer article imposes records, reporting, and holding duties; it does not require fingerprinting.
- Zoning / home office
- Not confirmed — check with the city
- Fees
- No separate secondhand-dealer fee is set in the Chapter 20 article; confirm any general city business registration.Source reviewed: 2026-09-21 (Fort Worth Code Ch. 20, 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.
Things to confirm
Confidence: ConfirmedOpen items a professional should verify before you rely on this page.
- Confirm whether Fort Worth requires a separate secondhand-dealer license or registration in addition to the Chapter 20 reporting and holding duties.
Turn this guide into your plan
Answer a few questions about how you buy and sell. The compliance checker puts Fort Worth'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.
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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
- Fort Worth Code Ch. 20 Sec 20-251 Definitions (secondhand dealer = permanent location or transient over 30 days; used/secondhand goods include jewelry and crafted precious metals) and Sec 20-258 Exemptions (nonprofits; used motor vehicles; occasional/garage sales; auctions; official sales) — retrieved 2026-09-21 · current
- Fort Worth Code Ch. 20 Sec 20-252 Required records and reports (record each purchase in duplicate; mail one copy to police within 48 hours; keep the second copy two years) — retrieved 2026-09-21 · current
- Fort Worth Code Ch. 20 Sec 20-254 Holding period prior to resale (14 consecutive days; police may authorize a shorter period; not required for purchases from other licensed secondhand dealers) — retrieved 2026-09-21 · current
Not legal advice. Confirm with your city or state office and a qualified professional.
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Talk to a local attorney
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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.