Anchorage, AK Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Hold period
- 60 days after police notice
- Verbal hold expires
- 10 business days unwritten
- Renewal
- successive 60-day increments
- Covers
- secondhand, antique, auction, scrap dealers
Summary
Anchorage requires secondhand stores, pawnbrokers, and other used-goods dealers to hold any item police report stolen for 60 days before resale, transfer, or disposal.
Following notification from the police department that an item of property has been reported stolen, the pawnbroker, secondhand store, antique store, auction hall, used firearm dealer, used automobile display lot, scrap metal dealer or crafted precious metal dealer, hereinafter referred to in this section as "merchant", shall hold that property safe from alteration, loss, or damage.
B. The merchant shall place an identifying tag or other suitable identification upon the property which shall contain the officer's name or the name of the member of the pawn detail, as well as the date, agency and case number.
C. Property held shall not be disposed of or released for 60 days from the date of police notification unless pursuant to a court order, or released by the officer who placed the initial hold or by a member of the pawn detail. Such a hold does not preclude the actual physical seizure of the item at a later time in accordance with applicable law. The intent of this section is that property should not be seized unless there is a good faith intent to refer the matter for prosecution upon completion of the investigation.
D.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5010260; v11 updated 2026-09-01).
Full Breakdown
Under AMC 10.20.037, once police notify a secondhand store, antique store, auction hall, used firearm dealer, used auto lot, scrap metal dealer, or crafted precious metal dealer that an item in its possession has been reported stolen, the merchant must hold it safe from alteration, loss, or damage and tag it with the officer's name, date, agency, and case number. The property can't be disposed of for 60 days from notification unless a court order or the placing officer releases it sooner. A verbal hold must be confirmed in writing within 10 business days or it lapses, though holds can be renewed in further 60-day increments. Anchorage's older stand-alone secondhand-merchant license (former AMC 10.20.040) was repealed in 2000, leaving this hold duty as the operative local rule for secondhand dealers.
Violations & Fines
Willful noncompliance with a police hold order is grounds for license suspension or revocation under AMC 10.10.035.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Anchorage still license secondhand dealers separately?
How long must a secondhand store hold reported-stolen property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anchorage
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