Ames, IA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Section 17.25(1)(g) defines a secondhand dealer as anyone engaged in buying or selling secondhand goods, excluding consigned goods or goods donated without compensation, and the definition expressly reaches automated or camera-enabled kiosks that purchase secondhand goods without the buyer's physical presence. Every secondhand dealer needs the same annual dealer's permit required of pawnbrokers, issued by the City Clerk after a background check by the Ames Chief of Police, and must post it conspicuously. Under Sec. 17.25(3)(a), the Chief of Police designates an Internet-based property tracking service, and every dealer other than itinerant dealers must report each transaction within 24 hours, including a description of the item, serial or model numbers, the price paid, the date and time, and the seller's name, address, date of birth, sex, and driver's license or state ID number.

A photograph is required only when an item lacks a serial or model number. Garage sales, consignment sales, donated-goods sales, and auctions are exempt from the reporting and retention duties, and antique dealers are exempt entirely. Dealers must retain purchased items for ten days before disposal absent police permission, admit police officers to inspect the premises, and examine photo identification before every purchase. Section 17.25(5)(b) separately bars any dealer from acquiring goods from a person under eighteen years old, and dealers may not knowingly buy items with tampered serial numbers without contacting the Ames Police Department.