Cedar Rapids, IA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Who's covered
- Used article, junk, pawn dealers
- Must log
- Item description + buyer/seller ID
- Inspection
- Open to police, any hour
- Minors
- Written parental consent required
Summary
Cedar Rapids requires anyone who buys, sells, or exchanges used articles, including junk dealers and pawnbrokers, to keep detailed purchase records naming both parties, open to police inspection at any hour, and bars dealing with minors without a parent's written consent.
Any person in the business of buying, selling or exchanging used articles shall keep a record of all such articles purchased, which record shall contain a detailed and accurate description of the articles so purchased, including the number or numbers thereon if any, or any other marks of identification together with name and address and general physical description of the person from whom such articles were purchased or received, and the name and address and physical description of the person to whom such articles were sold and delivered. Such records together with the stock of such articles on hand shall be open to inspection by any police officer at any reasonable time of the day or night.(b)Purchases from Minors. Any person engaged in the business of buying, selling or exchanging used articles, or any junk dealer, or pawnbroker shall not purchase or receive any such articles from any minor without the written consent of his parent or guardian, nor shall any such person sell or deliver any such article to any minor without written consent of his parent or guardian.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 24).
Full Breakdown
Under § 64.12, secondhand and junk dealers must log a detailed description of every used article they buy, including any identifying marks or numbers, plus the name, address, and physical description of the seller, and the same information for whoever the item is later sold to. Those records and the dealer's on-hand stock must be open to inspection by any Cedar Rapids police officer at any hour, day or night. Dealers, junk buyers, and pawnbrokers also may not purchase from or sell to a minor without the written consent of the minor's parent or guardian.
Violations & Fines
No dollar penalty is stated in this section; violations default to the code's standard penalty of $65 to $625, plus up to 30 days in jail, under § 1.06.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cedar Rapids require secondhand dealers to keep records?
Can a pawnshop buy from a minor in Cedar Rapids?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cedar Rapids
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