Chicopee, MA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Section 188-9 of the Chicopee Code covers dealers and keepers of shops for secondhand articles. Section 188-9(A) bars anyone from engaging in the business of operating such a shop without a license and without complying with the section, and licenses can be granted to suitable persons. Section 188-9(C) defines a dealer or keeper as one who keeps a shop, store or place of business for the primary or secondary purpose of purchasing or selling used merchandise, and the examples printed include furniture, appliances, furnishings, tools, clothing, jewelry, books, glass, DVDs, tapes, compact discs and electronic devices. A shop that leases new merchandise and later sells it as used after its useful lease life expires is not a dealer for purposes of the section (§ 188-9(D)).

Every keeper operating in the City of Chicopee must keep a permanent bound book recording, at the time of each purchase, a description of the article, the name, age and residence of the seller, and the day and hour of the purchase. The book stays open to inspection by Police Department officers (§ 188-9(B)). No secondhand article purchased or received can be sold or otherwise disposed of until at least 30 days after the date of purchase (§ 188-9(F)). The license fee is set from time to time by the City Council and is on file with the City Clerk (§ 188-9(E)).

Process comes from the general licensing sections. Applications go to the City Clerk, and fees are paid at the time of applying and are not refundable (§ 188-4). An applicant who does not own the property must file a copy of the lease agreement or its equivalent (§ 188-4.1). Unless otherwise specified, licenses under Chapter 188 expire on April 30 of each year (§ 188-1).

Shops that deal in junk, old metal or secondhand articles also fall under § 188-7, amended 6-3-2025 by Ord. No. 25-23: no purchase from a minor, no purchase of an item that appears to have had a serial number or identifying marks removed, business hours only between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on weekdays, an electronic transaction record open to Chicopee Police inspection, and photographs of items kept for a minimum of three years. Persons who buy or sell secondhand articles only in books, clothing or furniture are exempt from the customer-photograph requirement of subsection J (§ 188-7(K)).