Cook County, IL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- Cook County Code § 54-422
- Fine range
- $1,000–$2,000 per offense
- Required check
- Stolen cell phone database (IMEI/MEID/ESN)
- Prohibited
- Buying pawned goods from minors
- Exempt
- Large trade-in chains, carriers, manufacturers
Summary
Cook County requires secondhand dealers buying used cell phones to check a stolen cell phone database first, log each device's make, model and serial number, and bars them from taking pawned goods from minors.
No secondhand dealer shall purchase, take or receive from any person in pawn or pledge, for money loaned, any cell phone whose make, model and serial number is identified in a stolen cell phone database. Before purchasing... the secondhand dealer shall check the stolen cell phone database to verify that the cell phone is not a stolen or lost cell phone, and shall record in an inventory log the date and time of such verification, the make, model and serial number of the cell phone, and a unique inventory number for each such cell phone.
Full Breakdown
Under Cook County Code § 54-422, secondhand dealers, anyone buying, selling or pawning used property such as cell phones, jewelry, sporting gear or audio-video equipment, must check a stolen cell phone database before taking a phone in pawn or purchase, verifying make, model and serial number (MEID/IMEI/ESN) against the database, and log the verification date, time and a unique inventory number for each phone. Dealers may never take property in pawn from a minor. Large trade-in chains, carriers and manufacturer recyclers are exempt. Violations carry fines of $1,000 to $2,000 per offense, with each sale a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Fines of $1,000 to $2,000 per offense under § 54-423; each purchase, sale or day of unlawful operation counts as a separate violation, pursued as a quasi-criminal action under the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cook County issue a special secondhand-dealer license?
What happens if a dealer skips the stolen phone check?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cook County
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