Conroe, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $250.00 per year
- Required bond
- $5,000.00 per license
- Public purchase hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. only
- Record retention
- 3 years for transaction records
- Video retention
- 1 year per recording
- Issuing authority
- Chief of Police
Summary
Conroe requires anyone buying scrap metal or wiring from the public to hold a police-issued metal recycling license, post a $5,000 bond, buy from the public only between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and keep photo ID, thumbprint and video records of every transaction for years.
Sec. 18-352. - License required; posting. A person may not act as a metal recycling entity or represent to the public that the person is a metal recycling entity unless the person has a valid metal recycling business license issued under this article. The license shall be posted in a conspicuous place upon the licensed premises. ... Sec. 18-355. - License fee, term and renewal. The fee for issuance of a metal recycling business license is $250.00. A license shall be valid for one year from the date of issuance and shall be subject to annual renewal. ... Sec. 18-357. - Purchasing regulated materials from the general public. A metal recycling entity may not purchase regulated materials from the general public except between the hours of 8:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85).
Full Breakdown
Article VI of Chapter 18, Sections 18-350 through 18-361, licenses 'metal recycling entities,' a term borrowed from Texas Occupations Code Section 1956.001(7), layering city rules on top of the state Metal Recycling Entities Act without conflicting with it. Section 18-352 makes it unlawful to act as, or hold out as, a metal recycling entity without a valid city license posted conspicuously on the premises. Section 18-353 requires a $5,000 bond per license from a state-authorized surety, running to the city for anyone with a claim under the article.
Applicants apply to the chief of police under Section 18-354 with identifying information, business location, hours of operation, criminal history disclosure and photo ID proving they're at least 18; the chief must deny an application that's materially false or filed by someone whose license was revoked in the prior year. Section 18-355 sets the license fee at $250.00, valid one year with annual renewal. Section 18-357 limits purchases of regulated material from the general public to 8:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. Section 18-358 bars buying from a minor unless a parent consents in writing, aluminum cans excepted, with consent kept on file three years.
Section 18-359 requires a detailed transaction record for each purchase, including a thumbprint, seller photo ID, vehicle and plate photo, and item origin, retained three years. Section 18-360 requires video recording of every transaction, kept one year, and Section 18-361 opens records to inspection by state peace officers during business hours.
Violations & Fines
The chief of police may revoke or suspend a metal recycling license for any violation of the article or applicable state law, including failure to keep required records, after written notice and a hearing under Section 18-356. A licensee may appeal to the city administrator in writing within 20 days; that decision is final. Criminal prosecution can proceed alongside, or instead of, revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can a metal recycler in Conroe buy scrap from the public?
Can a recycler buy scrap metal from a minor?
What records must a Conroe metal recycler keep on every purchase?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Conroe
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