What's specific to Seattle

Summary

Seattle adds a licence and a more demanding watch record to the state rules.

The licence is a used goods dealer's license under SMC Chapter 6.288, issued as a regulatory endorsement. It costs $208 a year, expires on March 31, and sits on top of the ordinary Seattle business license tax certificate. Everything below is what changes inside city limits. The statewide rules are in the Washington guide.

The watch record: works and case

SMC 6.288.070.A tells you what the description of each item must contain, and it names watches:

"In the case of watches, that shall include the name of the maker and the number of both the works and the case, if any."

"Works" is the movement. The state record asks for a serial number; Seattle asks for two numbers: the movement number and the case number, plus the maker. For most modern watches that means opening the caseback, or having the movement number from papers you trust, before the record is complete.

The seller has to be identified by two pieces of corroborating ID, one of them government photo ID or a driver's licence number. You also record the address the property was last removed from. Records stay on the premises, and removing one within three (3) years of the transaction is unlawful (SMC 6.288.050.B).

Reporting before noon

On request, the Chief of Police gets a transcript of the previous day's transactions before noon, on police forms (SMC 6.288.080.A). The Chief can also ask for records of what you sold, including the buyer's name and address, which most dealers do not keep in a form ready to hand over.

The daily electronic upload to the Seattle Police Department's property-tracing system is mandatory for pawnbrokers. For a used goods dealer who does not take pledges, reporting is on request. The name of the police system is not given in the code.

Where Seattle is narrower than the state

Three of the city's rules read differently from RCW 19.60:

• Trade-ins. The exception covers an allowance on new merchandise of the same kind and greater value. A pre-owned watch traded up against another pre-owned watch does not fit it on its face.
• Dealer-to-dealer stock. The 30-day retention does not apply to goods acquired from another used goods licensee. RCW 19.60.055 has no such exception; the state carves out only precious-metal property bought from a dealer who signs a not-stolen declaration.
• Flea markets. Trading at flea markets or swap meets fewer than four (4) times a year is outside the licence requirement.

Two other exceptions may matter for a watch business. Selling reprocessed goods, defined as items "substantially rebuilt or remanufactured", is exempt, and whether a restored vintage watch qualifies is untested. A watchmaker selling unclaimed pieces repaired in the ordinary course of a repair service is also exempt.

Two fees, and one exemption that does not help

The $208 endorsement is the dealer-specific cost. Separately, every business needs the city's business license tax certificate, priced by taxable revenue in the city: for 2026, $73 up to $19,999 and $147 from $20,000 to $499,999, rising to $76 and $154 in 2027. Higher revenue bands pay more.

From 2026, a business with $4,000 or less of annual city income and no place of business in Seattle does not need the tax certificate. That exemption does not apply to regulatory licence requirements, so it does not remove the used goods licence.

Should an online dealer call first?

SMC 6.288.030.A is unconditional. If you trade from home or online, ask Business Regulations directly how it applies to you, and keep the answer in writing.

What this guide does not cover

Seattle's Land Use Code (SMC Title 23) was not reviewed, so home-occupation and storefront zoning are not addressed. The licence processing time, any background check, and the higher business-licence revenue bands were not captured for this edition. Seattle's combined sales tax rate for October–December 2026 is 10.55%; collecting it is covered in the state guide.