Buffalo secondhand dealers, including pawnshops and used-goods stores, must register with the City Clerk and report transactions to the Buffalo Police Department under Buffalo City Code provisions and New York General Business Law Article 6.
New York General Business Law §60 requires secondhand dealers to keep daily transaction logs identifying sellers, item descriptions, and serial numbers. Buffalo additionally requires a city license issued by the City Clerk and police background check. Dealers must hold purchased items for a waiting period (commonly 15 days) before resale to allow theft recovery. Reports are typically uploaded to a central pawn-database accessible to BPD detectives. Records must be retained six years. Failure to log transactions is a misdemeanor and can result in license revocation and forfeiture of inventory tied to stolen-property investigations.
Failing to record transactions, reselling items before the holding period, or buying from minors without parental consent results in license revocation and misdemeanor charges.
See how Buffalo's secondhand dealers rules stack up against other locations.
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