Cleveland, OH Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual license fee
- $125.00
- License year
- October 1 – September 30
- Record retention
- 1 year minimum
- Licensing authority
- Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses
- First-offense penalty
- 4th-degree misdemeanor
Summary
Cleveland requires anyone buying, selling or exchanging secondhand articles to hold a $125 annual license, post a sign naming the business, and keep a numbered record of every purchase with the seller's ID copied and kept for a year.
A person other than a scrap metal dealer, as defined in Section 676.06, purchasing, selling, exchanging, or receiving secondhand articles of any kind other than special purchase articles as defined in Section 676.06 scrap iron, and scrap metal, shall post in a conspicuous place in or upon the person's shop, store, wagon, boat, or other place of business, a sign having the person's name and occupation legibly inscribed thereon, and shall keep a separate record book or electronic file... The purchaser shall retain the record book or electronic file and copies of personal identification cards for at least one (1) year after the purchase or exchange date.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-28: Current through legislation passed September 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
07 fixing the secondhand dealer's annual license fee at $125, issued each October 1 and expiring the following September 30. 06). 52, or an equivalent out-of-state photo ID). Records and ID copies must be kept for at least one year and made available to any law enforcement officer on request at reasonable times. 01(c) exempts dealers who deal exclusively in secondhand pianos, books, magazines, rugs, tapestries, paintings and similar art or antique items, straightforward merchandise exchanges/returns, and dealers who deal exclusively in heavy industrial equipment, furniture, or secondhand automobiles. 12(a)).
Violations & Fines
Failing to license, post the required sign, or keep the § 676.08 purchase records is a misdemeanor under § 676.99(a): fourth degree on a first offense, third degree on a second offense, and first degree on a third or later offense, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense; an organization that violates faces the same escalating degrees plus fines under § 601.99(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a secondhand dealer's license cost in Cleveland?
What records must a Cleveland secondhand dealer keep on each purchase?
Are any secondhand businesses exempt from Cleveland's dealer licensing rules?
What happens if a Cleveland secondhand dealer doesn't keep the required records?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cleveland
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Secondhand Dealers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cuyahoga County handle secondhand dealers.