Bossier City, LA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Sec. 86-61 defines a "secondhand dealer" as any person in the business of buying, selling, trading in, or otherwise acquiring or disposing of used or secondhand property, and "secondhand property" to include jewelry, silverware, diamonds, pictures, objects of art, clothing, mechanic's and carpenter's tools, automobile accessories and audio/video equipment. Sec. 86-62 exempts Bossier City residents' garage sales and nonprofit or charitable rummage sales, as long as they run no more than three consecutive days. Sec. 86-63 then requires every dealer who is not exempt to hold a license under applicable city, parish and state regulations before operating.

Sec. 86-64 requires every licensed dealer to keep a ledger recording, for each purchase, a full description of the item (including color, brand and serial number), the price paid, and the seller's name, address, sex, race, height, weight, driver's license number and Social Security number; a copy of that day's entries must go to the police chief before noon the following day, and the ledger itself stays open to inspection by any state, parish or city law-enforcement officer at all times. Sec. 86-65 bars a dealer from selling, disposing of, or altering the identity of any purchased item until 30 calendar days have passed from the date of purchase, giving police a window to trace stolen property. Sec. 86-66 penalizes anyone operating as an unlicensed secondhand dealer with a fine of not less than $250.00 nor more than $500.00, or imprisonment of 30 to 60 days, or both.