Alameda, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered goods
- bikes, jewelry, gold/silver, tools, firearms, junk
- Record book
- seller's name, address, item description
- Copy to police
- weekly (Sec. 6-44.2)
- Inspection
- open to police anytime during business hours
- Holding period
- 10 days before resale (Sec. 6-44.4)
- Default penalty
- up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Every secondhand dealer in Alameda dealing in bikes, jewelry, gold or silver, tools, firearms or junk must log each transaction in an English-language record book with the seller's description and address, deliver a copy weekly to the Chief of Police, and hold every item at least ten days before reselling it, under Sec. 6-44.1 through 6-44.4.
Every person buying, selling or exchanging, receiving in pledge, or otherwise dealing in, whether as a separate business or in connection with other business, secondhand bicycles, precious stones, silverware, jewelry, old gold or silver, clothing, tools, surgical, dental or drawing instruments or implements, firearms, junk or any of the articles in the City shall keep at his place of business a record book, in which shall be entered, in the English language, at the time of purchase, sale, pledge or exchange of such articles, a description of such articles bought, sold, pledged or exchanged, sufficient to identify the same and the signature and the address of the person buying, selling, pledging or exchanging such articles, and, if an exchange be made, a description of the articles given in exchange as well as those received.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 74).
Full Breakdown
Alameda regulates secondhand and pawn-type businesses under Article VIII of Chapter VI, Loans and Second-Hand Businesses. Sec. 1 requires anyone buying, selling, exchanging or taking in pledge secondhand bicycles, precious stones, silverware, jewelry, old gold or silver, clothing, tools, surgical, dental or drawing instruments, firearms or junk, whether as a standalone business or alongside another one, to keep a record book at the place of business. Every purchase, sale, pledge or exchange must be entered in English at the time it happens, describing the item well enough to identify it and recording the name and address of the person on the other side of the transaction; if goods are exchanged, the book must also describe what was given in return.
Sec. 2 requires the dealer to deliver a true copy of the past week's entries to the Chief of Police at least once a week. Sec. 3 makes the book open to inspection by the Chief of Police or any City police officer at any time during business hours, and makes it unlawful to refuse to produce it on demand. Sec. 4 requires every item taken in by purchase, pledge or exchange to be held for at least ten days before it can be disposed of, giving police a window to trace stolen property before it changes hands again.
Violations & Fines
Refusing to keep the required record book, failing to deliver weekly copies to the Chief of Police, or refusing to produce the book for inspection is unlawful under Sections 6-44.2 and 6-44.3. Because the article sets no separate fine, a violation defaults to the City's general misdemeanor or infraction penalty under Sec. 1-5.1, up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both, and each day a violation continues can count as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What records does a secondhand shop have to keep in Alameda?
Does the Alameda Police Department review these secondhand dealer records?
How long must a pawnshop or secondhand dealer hold an item before reselling it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alameda
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Secondhand Dealers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle secondhand dealers.