Bellflower, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Itinerant tax
- $250/yr first vehicle + $150/vehicle add'l
- Scope
- Applies only without a fixed location
- Fixed-store rule
- 400-ft school/park/religious-facility buffer
- Fixed-store size
- Minimum 5,000 sq ft building
Summary
Bellflower taxes itinerant junk and used-article dealers without a fixed location at $250 a year per vehicle, while fixed-location secondhand stores face separate 400-foot buffer and minimum-size zoning rules.
For the business of collecting, buying or selling at either retail or wholesale or otherwise dealing in junk and/or rubbish, waste materials, refuse and/or any old rags, sacks, bottles, cans, papers, metals, jewelry, precious metals, rubber, bric-a-brac, cordage, truck or automobile tires, truck or automobile parts, truck or automobile accessories, and other like articles, whether the same can be sold or otherwise disposed of in the condition or state of repair as collected, or whether the same is collected, bought or sold or otherwise disposed of for the purpose of being treated, repaired, or prepared so as to be used again in some other form, provided the person does not have a fixed place of business within the limits of the City, $250 per annum for the first wheeled vehicle, plus $150 per annum for each additional wheeled vehicle. (Prior code § 5-2.15)
Full Breakdown
The City of Bellflower, Los Angeles County, taxes itinerant junk dealers and dealers in old or used articles, those without a fixed place of business in the city, under BMC §5.08.160: $250 per year for the first collection vehicle plus $150 per year for each additional vehicle. A secondhand store operating from a fixed storefront instead pays the City's general business tax (§5.08.020) and must meet separate zoning siting standards in §17.44.270, which bar such stores within 400 feet of a school, park or religious facility and require a minimum 5,000-square-foot building.
Violations & Fines
Operating an unlicensed junk or secondhand business, or siting a fixed secondhand store inside the buffer zones set by §17.44.270, violates the Code; penalties run under Chapter 1.08 (§5.04.280) plus possible license revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this tax apply to a secondhand shop with a storefront?
How close can a secondhand store be to a school?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellflower
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