Cherokee County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum age to apply
- 21 years old
- Permit issuer
- County Development Service Center
- Exempt
- dealers exclusively in numismatic coins
- State law layered on
- O.C.G.A. § 43-37-5
- Denial appeal window
- 30 days, in writing
- Scope
- unincorporated Cherokee County only
Summary
Anyone buying used gold, silver, platinum, or gems for resale in unincorporated Cherokee County must hold a dealer permit from the county Development Service Center under Code § 38-102 before opening for business, on top of the state licensing law it supplements. Numismatic coin dealers are exempt.
Sec. 38-101. Purpose; authority. (a)This article is enacted for the purposes, among others, of promoting the health and general welfare of the community, establishing reasonable and ascertainable standards for the regulation and control of dealers in precious metals and gems.(b)This article is enacted pursuant to the authority of O.C.G.A. § 43-37-5. The requirements of this article shall be in addition to those requirements contained in Title 43, Chapter 37 of the Official Code of Georgia. Sec. 38-102. Compliance with article required. All persons, before beginning the business of operating a dealership in precious metals and gems, as herein defined, shall first file an application with the county development service center for a permit to conduct such business, shall receive such permit, and shall comply with all requirements of this article. This article shall not apply to dealers exclusively engaged in the sale or exchange of numismatic coins or to transactions exclusively involving numismatic coins or other coinage.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 39 | Zoning: Supplement 35).
Full Breakdown
§ 43-37-5 and layered on top of, not in place of, that state chapter's requirements (§ 38-101). Section 38-102 requires every person to file a permit application with the county development service center and receive the permit before beginning business as a dealer, defined to include anyone who buys precious metals, gems, or goods made from them from sources other than manufacturers or other dealers for resale in original, melted, or scrap form. The article does not reach dealers exclusively in numismatic coins. Applicants must be at least 21 years old and file a sworn written application disclosing the business location, nature, and, for corporations, partnerships, or LLCs, the names of officers, partners, or members (§ 38-105); permitted businesses also must comply with the county's occupation tax chapter.
citizen, and where the applicant is an entity, at least the majority stockholder, one general partner, or one member must meet that requirement. Section 38-107 bars a permit where the applicant previously had a dealer's permit suspended or revoked for cause, was convicted of a related law violation within the prior year, supplied false information, or owes the county a fee or tax. Denials are appealable in writing to the development service center within 30 days.
Violations & Fines
Failing to comply with any Article V requirement is a violation subjecting the dealer to citation returnable to Cherokee County Magistrate Court, with fines and/or imprisonment as set under the county's general penalty section, § 1-12 (§ 38-123).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a county permit to buy scrap gold in Cherokee County?
Can a non-citizen own a precious metals dealership in Cherokee County?
What can get a Cherokee County dealer permit denied?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cherokee County
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