Antioch, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- AMC § 5-3.02(C)
- Bond required
- $5,000 surety bond, § 5-3.07
- License issued by
- Director of Financial Services
- Annual expiration
- June 30 each year, § 5-3.06
- Operating hours
- 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. only, § 5-3.11
- Exempt
- Household goods sold at owner's home
Summary
Antioch regulates secondhand dealers who sell used goods through an auction house or yard under AMC § 5-3.02(C): they must hold a city auction license, pay a resolution-set fee, post a $5,000 bond, and operate only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
(C) Auction houses and yards. Any person desiring to sell at auction within an auction house or yard operated as an independent business and which is duly licensed as an independent business in the city and selling only used or secondhand goods and is the actual owner thereof, or handling the same on a commission basis, shall make application for an auction license and shall accompany the same with the payment of a fee in an amount to be determined by resolution.
Full Breakdown
Antioch Municipal Code Chapter 5-3, "Auction, Closing-Out, and Secondhand Sales," is the city's licensing scheme for auctioning used merchandise. 04. 07 requires the applicant to "furnish a surety bond in the principal sum of $5,000," conditioned on compliance with the chapter, the truthfulness of the application and any sale representations, and a guarantee that a defrauded purchaser's money will be refunded. 06 provides that annual licenses "shall expire on the following June 30" and may be prorated monthly from issuance. 05 if any advertising or statement about the goods offered is untrue or misleading, with revocation or restoration left to Council discretion and no refund of fees already paid.
m. 03 exempts government sales and bona fide sales of household goods, livestock, or farm implements "at the domicile of such owner" from the license fee, though sales tax still applies. A secondhand dealer who does not sell by auction still needs the city's standard Title 3 business license.
Violations & Fines
Operating an unlicensed secondhand auction business, misrepresenting the goods offered, or selling outside the 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window set by § 5-3.11 exposes the operator to license suspension or revocation under § 5-3.05 by the Director of Financial Services, Chief of Police, or Council, plus prosecution under the city's general penalty section, § 1-2.01, which makes violating any code provision a misdemeanor unless the City Attorney charges it as an infraction. A suspended or revoked license forfeits any fee already paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Antioch license secondhand dealers separately from pawnshops?
How much is the required bond?
Can a secondhand auction run at any hour?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Antioch
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