Chandler, AZ Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Yes, annual, expires Dec 31
- Report deadline
- 24 hours to Police, electronic
- Holding period
- 20 calendar days before resale
- Records retained
- 24 months (sales/inventory)
- Casual-sale exemption
- ≤3 garage sales/year
Summary
Chandler requires secondhand dealers, junk dealers, antique dealers, and auction houses to hold an annual City permit, report every purchase to Police within 24 hours, and hold acquired goods 20 days before resale. Casual sellers with 3 or fewer garage sales a year are exempt.
B. A secondhand dealer shall retain any property obtained in a reportable transaction at its place of business or other storage location approved by the Chief of Police or his/her designee for a period of twenty (20) calendar days after making out and delivering to the Police Department the report required under section 15-2.A—E. Any article held in custody pursuant hereto shall not be altered or transformed in any way but shall be held in the same condition in which it was delivered to the reporting party.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 15 defines 'secondhand dealer' broadly under Section 15-1 as anyone engaged in an ongoing business of buying, selling, trading, exchanging, consigning, or otherwise dealing in secondhand goods and antiques, and expressly includes antique dealers. The definition carves out several exemptions, including title-recorded property dealers, items abandoned during repair, nonprofit-benefiting sales, wireless trade-in credits, and automated electronic device kiosks. 00 per report form. Section 15-5(B) requires a secondhand dealer to retain any reportable property at its place of business or an approved storage location for 20 calendar days after the report is delivered, without altering the item.
Section 15-6 requires sale records (for items sold at $50 or more) and inventory records to be kept for 24 months, and Section 15-7 makes the business premises and records open to Police inspection during regular hours. Section 15-11 bars knowingly employing anyone convicted of a relevant felony or moral-turpitude misdemeanor within the past five years. All these requirements trace to Ordinance No. 4853, adopted January 10, 2019.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a secondhand dealer without a permit (§ 15-17) or while suspended or revoked (§ 15-18) is unlawful, and Section 15-21 makes any Chapter 15 violation a Class 1 misdemeanor under Section 1-8. Failing to report a transaction or falsifying a report (§ 15-19) is separately unlawful, and each day of unpermitted operation is a separate violation under Section 15-15(I).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a secondhand shop in Chandler?
How long must a Chandler secondhand dealer hold purchased goods?
Is an occasional garage sale seller treated as a secondhand dealer in Chandler?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chandler
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