What's specific to Worcester

Worcester takes the opposite approach to Boston. There is no hold: the ordinance sets no waiting period before a watch can be resold. The weight falls on the ledger and on the licence application instead. State-level rules, including the gold, silver and platinum book and sales tax, are in the Massachusetts guide; for the contrast, see the Boston guide.

The licence

Section 7A(a) of chapter 14 of the Revised Ordinances says no one may carry on the business of a dealer in second hand articles without a licence issued by the chief of police. The fee is $100, and every licence expires on May 1 following the date of issue (§ 7A(c), (d)); the police packet writes that as 04/30. Post the licence conspicuously on the premises, and do not transfer it without the chief's consent.

Breaking § 7A, or dealing without the licence, carries "a fine in the amount established by the General Laws", which is the $20 forfeit in c. 140 § 55. Each day is a separate offence (§ 7A(h)).

Getting licensed

The application runs through the Worcester Police License Investigation Unit at 9-11 Lincoln Square, Room 108, by appointment (508-799-8648). The packet lists what a new applicant brings:

• A letter from the property owner or a rental agreement.
• A zoning sign-off from the city, recording the zone, whether the use is permitted, and the occupancy permit.
• A Tax Release Form signed off at the Treasurer's Office in City Hall.
• A Business Certificate from City Hall, unless you are a corporation not trading under another name.
• Receipt of the City of Worcester Authorized Ledger.

An officer then inspects the business before the licence issues. At renewal, the packet says a background check is run on the owner and on whoever purchases articles for the business. The application asks for Social Security number, date and place of birth, citizenship and arrest history for both.

The ledger

Every transaction goes into a bound book with consecutively numbered pages, in a form the chief prescribes or approves, written at the time of the transaction (§ 7A(e)). Each entry records:

1. The seller's name, date of birth and residence.
2. The date and time.
3. The price.
4. A description, including type, approximate weight and quantity.
5. The licence plate and state of the seller's vehicle.
6. A written statement from the seller that he or she is in lawful possession of the article.

You also keep a legible copy of the seller's state-issued photo ID. No entry may be erased or defaced, and everything is kept 3 years from the date of the transaction.

The field list was written with scrap in mind. It asks for weight and quantity but not for a serial or reference number, so the ordinance alone would not capture the details that identify a watch. The seller's written statement of lawful possession has no counterpart in Boston's purchase book.

The chief may enter and examine articles, books and inventories whenever the business is open (§ 7A(f)). That inspection is the whole of the reporting duty: § 7A requires no daily, weekly or electronic report.

Exemptions from the ledger

The chief may exempt a particular transaction from one or more of the ledger requirements (§ 7A(g)). The packet says the request must be made in writing to the Chief of Police, stating the reason.

Not confirmed

• Fingerprinting. Neither § 7A nor the packet mentions it.
• Zoning detail. The sign-off is required, but the Zoning Ordinance was not researched.
• Processing time. The packet gives none.