Berkeley pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers must register with the California Department of Justice, hold a city business license, report transactions through the CDOJ system, and observe statewide hold periods on used merchandise.
California Business and Professions Code sections 21625 through 21647 govern secondhand dealers, requiring all qualifying merchants to obtain a state license through the local police chief and submit daily transaction reports via the California Pawn and Secondhand Dealer System (CAPSS). Berkeley layers a city business license on top, with BPD acting as the issuing law-enforcement authority. Mandatory thirty-day holds apply to most reportable goods so police can match property against stolen-item databases. Sellers must present government identification, and dealers must record fingerprints when statute requires.
Failing to report transactions, ignoring the thirty-day hold, or operating without state and city licensing can mean misdemeanor charges, license revocation, and forfeiture of unlawfully traded property.
See how other cities in Alameda County handle secondhand dealers.
See how Berkeley's secondhand dealers rules stack up against other locations.
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