What's specific to Houston

At a glance

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

Secondhand Reseller license (Houston Code of Ordinances Ch. 7, Art. VI), issued through the Houston Permitting Center

Who it applies to

Required to engage in the business of commercially selling previously-used items, so a used-watch dealer is covered. State-licensed pawnbrokers are excluded (§ 7-2). To apply you show a Certificate of Occupancy for the premises, a government photo ID, and evidence of your Texas business and sales-tax status. Two structural limits sit alongside that. The business must be conducted from a fixed location (§ 7-122(a)) — Houston does not license a roving operation. And the licence is personal to the licensee and valid only for the location stated, is not transferable or assignable, and is a grant of privilege rather than a property right (§ 7-123(f), (g), (i)).

Office

Houston Permitting Center (license); records and reports go to the Houston Police Department

Reporting system

Houston Police Department — records, examination, and stolen-goods reporting

What must be reported

Keep a record of every used item received — the date of receipt and the transaction number you assign — and give each seller a consecutively numbered, dated receipt (§ 7-125). Keep stock and records open for police examination (§ 7-126). Immediately report to police any offer of property you know, or reasonably should know, is stolen (§ 7-6), and honor a peace officer's requested hold on a specific item (§ 7-129). One prohibition sits outside the record rules and catches watch dealers in particular: it is unlawful to purchase or receive any property in its original packaging, or with the original retail tag still attached, unless the person offering it presents a receipt or proof of purchase (§ 7-130). A full set with tags and an unopened box is exactly the transaction that rule is written for, so ask for the paperwork.

Reporting cadence

Records kept and open to examination; Houston does not require secondhand resellers to file each transaction daily with police.

Holding period

Not confirmed — check with the cityArticle VI sets no fixed resale holding period for secondhand resellers. A peace officer may request a hold on a specific item (§ 7-129), and any state-law retention period applies where it is longer (§ 7-4).

Fingerprinting

NoNot among the license application's required documents (application, Certificate of Occupancy, photo ID, and business/sales-tax status).

Zoning / home office

A Certificate of Occupancy for the business premises must be obtained before the license is issued (§ 7-5).Shows are handled explicitly, and the rule turns on whether you have a permanent place of business in the city. A reseller who does may use that same licence when attending shows at other locations in Houston (§ 7-124(b)). A reseller who does not must apply for and secure a separate licence for each location at a show, at a daily fee set by the city fee schedule (§ 7-124(c)). No portion of any fee is refundable (§ 7-124(d)).

Fees

$385.98 application plus a $32.16 administrative fee (§ 7-124)Renewal: $385.98 per year (a one-year license)Source reviewed: 2026-09-21 (Houston Permitting Center; Houston Code Ch. 7, Art. VI, current Sep 2026)