Columbia, MO Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License
- Required before operating
- Inspection fee
- $110–$160 per year
- Age limit
- No buying from under-18s
- Recordkeeping
- Permanent acquisition register required
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine + 3 months jail
Summary
Junk dealers and junkyards in Columbia, Missouri must hold a city license from the business license administrator before buying, selling, or storing scrap and used materials for resale.
It shall be unlawful for any person hereafter to construct, erect, enlarge, alter, repair, move, relocate, improve, remove, convert, equip, use, operate, or maintain any junkyard or to act as a junk dealer in the city, whether personally, by agents or employees, singly, or along with some other business or enterprise, without first having obtained a license therefor from the business license administrator, upon approval of the director.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 138).
Full Breakdown
The Columbia, Missouri Code of Ordinances makes it unlawful to construct, operate, or maintain a junkyard or act as a junk dealer within city limits, in Boone County, without first obtaining a license from the business license administrator upon the director's approval (§ 11-196). Licensed dealers must post the license on-site, keep a permanent acquisition register with each seller's name and address, refuse purchases from anyone under 18 without parental consent, and submit to annual inspection (§ 11-179). Inspection fees run $110 for dealers grossing $25,000 or less annually and $160 above that.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a license, or violating operating rules under §§ 11-176: 11-179, is punishable by a fine up to $500, up to 3 months in jail, or both, plus license revocation; each day is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to run a junk or scrap dealership in Columbia, Missouri?
What happens if I operate an unlicensed junkyard in Boone County's city of Columbia?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbia
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