Clinton Township, MI Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Chapter 858, the Pawnbroker, Secondhand Dealer and Junk Dealer Ordinance, bars anyone from carrying on a secondhand dealer business without first obtaining and maintaining a valid license from the Township, issued separately for each office or place of business (Section 858.03). Applicants file a written application with the correct fee (nonrefundable) and must disclose ownership structure, business history, and the names, addresses, birth dates and driver's license numbers of all owners and employees, plus two 2x2 portrait photographs and a full set of fingerprints retained by the Chief of Police (Section 858.04). The Chief of Police or a designee investigates the applicant's moral character and criminal history and inspects the business premises for compliance before a license issues (Section 858.05).

Once licensed, dealers must report incoming transactions electronically to the Police Department's computerized system within 48 hours of receipt (Section 858.10(b)) and hold every item purchased or exchanged for at least 15 days in an accessible place at the licensed premises, tagged with a number matching the transaction record, before it can be resold or disposed of (Section 858.17(a)). Secondhand dealers cannot buy, sell, barter or exchange items between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (Section 858.13), must stay closed on Sundays (Section 858.12), and cannot accept goods from anyone intoxicated, a suspected thief, a non-owner, or a minor under 18 (Section 858.18). A business whose primary revenue (more than 90%) comes from purchase and resale of clothing is excluded from the fingerprinting and transaction-recording requirements (Section 858.02(p)).