Bartow County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Bartow County Code § 44-602 defines a secondhand dealer as any company, sole proprietorship, partnership or other entity dealing in, purchasing, selling or trading regulated secondhand items, a broad category covering hand tools, power tools, sporting equipment, electronic equipment, watches, jewelry, precious stones and metals, coins, musical instruments and appliances. The definition excludes casual sellers of their own household items at a garage or yard sale, IRS-recognized nonprofit charities selling only donated goods, estate sale sellers, auctioneers, and vendors whose only transactions occur at a flea market, festival, fair or swap meet booth.

As a regulated business under article IX, a secondhand dealer must obtain an annual permit from the sheriff before operating, with every employee also individually permitted after a criminal background check, and anyone convicted of a felony in the preceding five years barred from the business under section 44-605. Section 44-611(a) requires the dealer to maintain a fixed physical business location; no person may operate a regulated business without one. Every transaction must be logged electronically under section 44-607, capturing the customer's identification, a description of the item, the price paid, and photographs of both the customer and the item, transmitted to the sheriff's office.

Section 44-608 sets a seven calendar day holding period for non-pledged goods, items bought outright rather than taken as security for a loan, before the dealer may resell, transfer or ship them, giving law enforcement a window to trace stolen property. Section 44-609 prohibits buying from anyone under 18, and section 44-610 requires reporting any item reasonably believed to be stolen or lost to the sheriff, with mandatory surrender of confirmed stolen items on demand.