Birmingham, AL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Section 12-13-1 defines a 'secondhand dealer' as any person operating a store, shop, or place of business where secondhand goods, meaning used property or items already transferred from a manufacturer or distributor, are bought, sold, exchanged, or bartered; furniture, automobiles, and licensed secondhand tire dealers are carved out and regulated separately. Section 12-13-2 imposes the chapter's core recordkeeping duty: each secondhand dealer (the section applies the same duty to pawnbrokers) must keep at the place of business a record of every transaction involving secondhand or pledged goods, matching the information state law requires on pawn tickets, and must check a personal identification card, defined to include a driver's license, state ID, military ID, passport, or DHS work authorization, at the time of each transaction.

Falsifying, destroying, or removing any part of that record is separately unlawful. Section 12-13-3 lets the mayor, chief of police, or any police officer inspect those records and any secondhand goods on the premises during ordinary business hours. Section 12-13-4 requires a daily transaction report to the police department by noon, listing the seller's name, sex, race, apparent age, ID number, and residence for every item acquired the day before. Section 12-13-5 bars reselling or moving secondhand goods off the premises for 15 business days after acquisition (21 calendar days for automobiles, trucks, and similar vehicles), giving police a window to match reported items against theft reports; a dealer can ask the chief of police to inspect goods within three days of a written request. Section 12-13-6 bars buying or receiving any secondhand goods from anyone under 19 years old.