Aurora, CO Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Yes, before operating
- Dealer threshold
- $30+ item, or serial number
- Police reporting
- Electronic, within 1 day
- Holding period
- 15 days ($500+/serialized items)
- Background review window
- 20 days by police dept.
Summary
Aurora, Colorado requires a secondhand dealer license for anyone buying or trading used goods worth $30 or more, or items with serial numbers, plus detailed police reporting on every transaction.
No secondhand dealer shall be permitted to operate in the city without a valid secondhand dealer license. ... Every secondhand dealer shall make a record of each purchase or trade of secondhand property made by such dealer... The secondhand dealer shall electronically deliver the record of the purchase or trade to the police department within one day following the date of such purchase or trade through the use of an electronic system designated by the City.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-30, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under Aurora City Code § 86-512, no secondhand dealer may operate in the city without a valid secondhand dealer license issued by the licensing administrator. "Secondhand dealer" is defined in § 86-511 to cover anyone whose principal business includes buying or trading used property valued at $30 or more per item, items bearing a serial or manufacturer number, precious/semiprecious metals or stones, or sales at flea markets: with carve-outs for garage-sale-scale sellers, antique dealers, and licensed pawnbrokers. Section 86-516 requires every purchase or trade to be logged with the seller's ID and fingerprint and electronically reported to the Aurora Police Department within one day, and mandates 15-day holding periods on serialized or $500+ items (30 days for precious metals) before resale. Applications go through a 20-day police background review under § 86-514 before the licensing administrator issues or denies the license within 30 days per § 86-515.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a license, falsifying required records, or violating a holding period is grounds for license suspension, revocation, or a civil fine under § 86-47; sales to minors without written parental consent are separately prohibited under § 86-517.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to run a secondhand or resale shop in Aurora?
How long must an Aurora secondhand dealer hold purchased items before reselling?
Does a pawnbroker in Aurora also need a separate secondhand dealer license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
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