Pima County, AZ Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Holding period
- 15 days after sheriff report
- Penalty
- Class 3 misdemeanor
- Register
- Must be open for inspection
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Pima County only
Summary
Secondhand and junk dealers in unincorporated Pima County must hold every item they buy or take in pledge for 15 days after reporting it to the sheriff before reselling, destroying, or otherwise disposing of it.
It is unlawful for any pawnbroker, secondhand dealer, junk dealer or junk collector to deface, alter, change, destroy, part with, conceal, give away, sell or dispose of any goods, wares, merchandise or other articles received on deposit in pawn or pledge, by purchase or otherwise, before and until fifteen days after making out and delivering to the sheriff the report provided to be made and delivered under the provisions of Section 5.08.020.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-64: Contains Supplement, with local legislation through Ordinance 2026-9, passed 7-28-2026, current through 7-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
Pima County Code § 5.08.060 bars any secondhand dealer, junk dealer, junk collector, or pawnbroker in the unincorporated county from defacing, altering, destroying, concealing, giving away, selling, or disposing of goods received on deposit, pledge, or purchase until 15 days after delivering the § 5.08.020 report to the sheriff. During that hold, § 5.08.070 requires the goods and the dealer's transaction register to stay available for sheriff inspection. Violating the hold is a Class 3 misdemeanor under § 5.08.100. Applies only in the unincorporated area, not Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita, or South Tucson.
Violations & Fines
Selling, defacing, or disposing of secondhand or pawned goods before the 15-day hold expires, or refusing a sheriff inspection of the required register, is a Class 3 misdemeanor under § 5.08.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long must a Pima County secondhand dealer hold an item before reselling it?
Does the county require a secondhand dealer's license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pima County
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