Cincinnati, OH Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

011. Section 843-3 makes it unlawful to act as a second-hand dealer or junk dealer within Cincinnati without a license from the city manager or the manager's designee; applicants who own a store, facility, or yard must attach an accurate plot plan, and the director of buildings and inspections and city police must approve the application, confirming compliance with city rules on sales, zoning, drains, signs, driveways, and fencing before a license issues. The manager may suspend, revoke, or deny renewal if an investigation finds noncompliance.

Section 843-5 sets a tiered annual fee: a standard Class 2 second-hand dealer license costs $400; a Class 1 charitable or civic rummage sale costs $7 per sale, capped at two sales a year of no more than three days each; junk dealer fees run $400 for a store doing $25,000 or more in annual gross sales, $200 for a store under that threshold, $60 per truck or wagon, $10 per pushcart, and $40 for dealers who must separately hold a junk-facility license under Chapter 1021. 01's recordkeeping mandate.