Clearwater, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual fee
- $69.80, Appendix A § 070.060
- Background check
- Required under Note B / § 29.27
- Recommendation standard
- Criteria set in § 29.41
- State/county inspection
- Not flagged (no Note D)
- Reapply bar after denial
- 1 year, § 29.41(3)
Summary
Selling antiques or used merchandise in Clearwater requires a $69.80 city business tax receipt under Appendix A section 070.060, and Note B attached to that classification means the owner must clear a police department background check before the city issues it.
070.060 Antiques, used merchandise (See note B) 69.80 ...B.Requires city police department recommendation. The applicant shall complete a background information report, executed under oath, and shall submit to a background investigation, photograph, and fingerprints. The recommendation shall be based upon the criteria set forth in section 29.41 and shall include a statement of the facts upon which the recommendation is based.
Full Breakdown
80 classification and flags it with Note B, the same police-vetting condition applied to pawnbrokers and other cash-intensive resale businesses. 41 of the Code and documented in a written statement of facts. 27 lets an applicant substitute a state regulatory background check completed within six months of the application if it can be verified, but the city can still require its own check case by case. 31 issuance process, which requires zoning verification and, when required, police chief sign-off, with the director required to act within 30 days of a complete application.
Unlike the pawnbroker classification, the secondhand dealer entry does not carry Note D, so it is not separately flagged for a state or county inspection in this schedule.
Violations & Fines
A used-merchandise dealer operating before the police-vetted receipt issues faces the standard 25 percent penalty fee under Appendix A plus civil penalty exposure under section 1.12. The director can deny or revoke the receipt for cause under section 29.41, including a disqualifying felony conviction within three years or a maintained nuisance on the premises, with a one-year bar on reapplying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a special license to sell used goods in Clearwater?
What does the background check for a secondhand dealer involve?
Does the city inspect secondhand shops the way it inspects pawnshops?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clearwater
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